HARPER'S 

HOUSEHOLD 

HANDBOOK 


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Useful  Household  Books 

THE  COOK  BOOK  OF  LEFT-OVERS 

By  Helen  Carroll  Clarice,  former  instructor  in  cookery 
in  Pratt  institute,  Brooklyn,  and  Phoebe  Deyo  Rulon, 
former  instructor  in  invalid  cookery  and  dietetics  in 
Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York  City,  illustrated  witli 
Photographs.  l6mo.  Special  Waterproof  Cloth, 
Uniform  with  "The  Expert  Waitress,"  $1.00  net. 

SIMPLE   ITALIAN   COOKERY 

By  Antonia  isola.  A  collection  of  recipes  showing 
how  to  cook  macaroni,  rice,  soups,  meats,  vege- 
tables, sweets,  etc.      16mo,  Cloth,  50  cents  net. 

HYGIENE  FOR  MOTHER  AND  CHILD 

By  Francis  H.  MacCarthy,  M.  D.,  Attending 
Physician  to  the  Out-Patient  Department  for  Chil- 
dren, Massachusetts  Homoeopathic  Hospital.  A 
manual  for  mothers  and  nurses.  Post  8vo,  Cloth, 
$1.25  net. 

THE  BABY:  His  Care  and  Training 

By  Marianna  Wheeler.  (New  and  Revised  Edition.) 
Everything  mother  should  know  regarding  the  food, 
clothing,  and  bringing-up  of  the  baby.  Illustrated. 
16mo,  Cloth,  $1.0b  net. 

MANNERS  AND  SOCIAL  USAGES 

It  covers  the  entire  field  of  what  to  do  and  what  not 
to  do  in  social  affairs.  Illustrated.  Post  8vo,  Cloth, 
$1.25.  

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  PUBUSHERS,  NEW  YORK 


SPECIAL    LIMITED     EDITION 

HAllPER'S 

H  O  U  S  i:  H  O  L  D 
HANDBOOK 

A    GUIDE    TO    EASY    WAYS 
OF  DOING  woman's  WORK 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS  PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

MCMXIII 


COPYRIGHT,    1913.    BY    HARPER    a    BROTHERS 

PRINTED    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES   OF    AMERICA 

PUBLISHED    MARCH.    1913 


K-N 


THE  GETTY  CErfTER 
LIBRARY 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.  Wash-Day  Wisdom,  Nursing,  A>fD  Sick- 

room        1 

II.  Inside  a  Room 24 

III.  Equipment  and  Renovators      ....  41 

IV.  China,  Glass,  and  Furniture  ....  56 

V.  ■       Making  Whole 74 

VI.  Making  and  Making  Over 95 

VII.  Remedying  Spots,  Stains,  and  Tarnish  113 

VIII.  Food:  Choo.sing  and  Keeping   ....  129 

IX.  Hou.se    Plants,    Window    Boxes,    Cut 

Flowers 145 

X.  Disinfectants,  Insects,  Insecticides     .  163 

XI.  Care  of  Pets 179 

XII.  In  Emergencies 192 

Index 201 


HARPER'S 
HOUSEHOLD  HANDBOOK 


HARPER'S 
HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 


WASH-DAY   WISDOM,  NURSING,  AND 
SICKROOM 

Water:  Soften  hard  water  with  either 
washing-soda  or  lye,  taking  care  not  to  use 
too  much.  Turbid  or  milky  water  can  be 
cleared  to  a  degree  with  alum.  Dissolve  a 
tablespoonful  in  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  and 
add  a  cupful  to  a  tub.  Ill-smelling  water 
should  be  dashed  with  clear  lime  water — using 
likewise  a  cupful  to  the  tub.  A  teaspoonful 
of  carbohc  acid  to  the  tubful  is  also  advisable 
with  wash  water  under  suspicion. 

Soap :  Save  money  and  strength  by  getting 
soap  in  boxfuls,  piling  it  cobhouse  fashion  on 


2  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

a  dry  shelf  in  the  air.  Borax  soaps  chap  the 
hands  least.  Naphtha  soaps  do  the  best 
work  with  cold  water.  Cheap  yellow  soaps, 
having  much  resin  in  them,  answer  very  well 
if  the  clothes  are  well  rinsed.  Any  sort  of  soap 
is  best  made  into  a  jelly.  Shave  a  bar,  cover 
with  boiling  water,  and  simmer  until  soft.  If 
there  are  very  dirty  things  to  wash,  add  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  borax  in  powder,  and  as  much 
washing-soda  to  the  cake  of  soap.  This  is  for 
rubbing  on  dirty  spots.  Other  things  had 
better  be  washed  in  suds,  made  by  putting  a 
handful  of  jelly  in  a  tub  of  water. 

Washing  Fluids:  Use  for  boys'  clothes, 
working-men's  shirts,  and  overalls  turpentine, 
kerosene,  and  lime  water,  equal  quantities, 
shaken  well  together.  Wet  thoroughly,  let 
stand  an  hour,  then  wash  in  warm  suds.  Tur- 
pentine and  spirits  of  ammonia,  half  and  half, 
shaken  hard  together,  will  make  easier  the 
cleansing  of  colored  woolens. 

Bleaching:  Clothes  that  are  yellow  from 
lying  should  be  wet  in  boiling  water  dashed  with 
oxahc  acid   (see  section   Renovators),  putting 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.     3 

two  tablespoonfuls  to  the  gallon.  AVring  out, 
dry  in  sunshine,  and  wash  as  usual.  To  bleach 
faded  things  white,  as  prints,  lawns  or  linens, 
wash  very  clean,  using  extra-strong  suds,  then 
boil  in  a  solution  of  cream  of  tartar,  a  heaping 
tablespoonful  to  the  gallon.  Boil  half  an 
hour;  lift  up;  if  not  white,  boil  as  long  again. 
Keep  the  boiler  filled  and  the  garments  well 
under  water.  Rinse  in  two  waters  after  boil- 
ing, and  dry  in  sunlight  before  ironing. 

Temperature:  Keep  the  water  tempera- 
ture reasonably  even  throughout  a  wash — vio- 
lent alternations  "full"  every  sort  of  fabric 
more  or  less.  Very  fine  flannels  washed  in 
cold  water  throughout  with  naphtha  suds — • 
soap  must  never  touch  them — and  dried  quick- 
ly, hardly  shrink  at  all.  Flannels  generally 
are  best  washed  in  blood-warm  suds,  with 
rinse  water  the  least  bit  hotter.  Yet  the  be- 
ginning of  wash-day  wisdom  is  to  wet  every- 
thing thoroughly  with  cold  water  before  wash- 
ing.    Also  put  clothes  to  boil  in  cold  water. 

Mordants:    Set  colors  before  washing  new 

garments.     Most  of  the  aniline  colors  require 
2 


4  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

acid — either  alum  water  or  vinegar.  Put  four 
ounces  of  alum  to  a  large  tub  of  water,  or  add 
to  it  a  pint  of  strong  vinegar.  Soak  things 
for  ten  minutes,  then  wash.  Set  madder 
colors  with  sugar  of  lead,  putting  an  ounce  to 
a  gallon  of  hot  water.  Soak  twenty  minutes. 
Soak  blacks,  black  and  whites,  and  grays  in 
strong  salt  water,  but  only  a  few  minutes. 
Buff,  tan,  and  gray  linens  keep  fresh  longer  if 
well  wet  before  washing  with  strong  black- 
pepper  tea. 

Wash  Frocks:  Put  no  soap  on  wash  frocks 
— suds  suffice  after  spots  have  been  removed 
(see  section  Spots  and  Stains) .  With  delicate 
colors  use  bran  water  instead  of  suds.  Tie 
wheat  bran  loosely  in  thin  cloth,  and  rub  the 
clothes  with  it.  Use  lukewarm  water,  and 
work  quickly.  Rinse  instantly  and  hang  to 
dry  in  shade,  but  opened  out  so  the  drying 
will  be  quick.  Hang  carefully — pulling  while 
wet  ruins  lines,  besides  weakening  the  fabric — 
especially  if  it  is  starched. 

Table  Linen:  Wash  in  suds,  first  removing 
stains  and  grease  (see  section  Spots  and  Stains) . 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.      5 

Boil  only  occasionally.  Wash  first.  Never 
starch.  Hang  out  very  straight,  warp  threads 
across  the  line.  Take  down  when  barely  damp, 
fold,  keeping  threads  true,  roll  smoothly,  iron 
dry,  first  on  the  wrong  side,  then  on  the  right. 
Use  irons  below  scorching  heat.  In  ironing  nap- 
kins do  not  pinch  the  folds  with  the  iron- — 
also  iron  them  first  the  warp  way.  Instead 
of  folding  table  cloths  roll  them  after  ironing 
upon  heavy  cardboard  mailing-tubes  that  have 
been  covered  with  white  stuff  and  furnished 
with  wash  ribbons  at  the  ends  for  tying.  Tie 
napkins  by  sixes  wdth  ribbons  matching  those 
of  the  table  cloths. 

Doing  Up  Shirts,  Cuffs,  and  Collars: 
Soak  in  blood- warm  water  until  starched  parts 
are  soft,  wash  clean,  shake  out,  pull  all  double 
surfaces  straight,  pat  bosom,  collars,  and  cuffs 
so  the  various  plies  will  lie  together,  hang  to 
dry,  straight.  When  bone-dry  fold  the  bosom 
lengthwise  down  the  middle,  dip  in  hot  starch 
reinforced  ^^^th  gum  water,  rub  the  starch 
well  into  the  cloth,  wring,  hang  straight,  slip 
a  hand  underneath  the  bosom  and  wipe  over 


6  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

with  a  damp,  clean  cloth,  then  pat  well  to- 
gether, pin-pricking  any  blisters.  Starch  col- 
lars and  cuffs  the  same.  Let  dry,  then  spread 
sheets  flat,  sprinkle  lightly,  fold  tails  upward, 
sprinkle  again,  then,  beginning  at  the  neck 
band,  roll  up  tight  and  smooth  and  let  stand 
an  hour. 

Fold  lengthwise  down  the  middle  of  the  back, 
iron  body,  back,  and  front;  iron  sleeves  from 
the  sloped  seam  back;  press  wrist  bands  first 
upon  wrong  side,  then  on  right.  Do  the  same 
with  the  yoke  and  neck  band — fasten  it,  put 
in  bosom  board,  spread  bosom  smooth  upon 
it,  keeping  threads  exactly  square.  Wet 
lightly  with  starch  water;  wipe  over  with 
a  damp  cloth.  Have  an  iron  just  below 
scorching  heat,  begin  work  in  the  middle,  at 
the  bottom,  hold  the  bosom  taut  with  the  left 
hand  and  iron  toward  the  neck.  Go  all  over; 
if  any  smears  come  wipe  off  with  tepid 
water.  Do  the  same  for  wrinkles  or  warped 
spots.  Hold  hard  along  the  edges — the  stitch- 
ing draws.  Polish  with  a  special  polishing- 
iron,  a  little  cooler  than  the  others. 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.      7 

Iron  collars  and  cuffs  upon  the  wrong  side 
until  half  dry.  Press  hard  over  the  right  side 
and  polish.  Curl  collars  around  the  iron  as  it 
moves.  Finish  the  band  before  ironing  the 
outside.  With  cuffs  the  main  thing  is  to  pre- 
vent blisters  and  wry  corners  —  do  that  by 
ironing  the  edges  first  and  holding  them  taut. 

Clear  Starching:  For  fine  lawns  and  laces. 
Dip  in  gum  water  (sec  section  Renovators)  a 
cupful  to  a  quart  of  boiling  water,  squeeze  with- 
out wringing,  and  hang  smoothly  to  dry.  Take 
down  when  barely  damp,  roll  tight  and  smooth- 
ly, loosen  a  smallish  space,  and  pat  between 
the  hands  until  dry.  Sprinkle  lightly — with 
an  atomizer  if  possible — and  iron  on  the  wrong 
side  with  moderate  heat.  Laces  need  not  be 
ironed — in  fact,  should  not  be. 

Starches:  A  heaped  tablespoonful  of  raw 
starch  to  a  gallon  of  water  makes  rather  stiff 
starch — if  wanted  very  stiff  use  a  teaspoonful 
additional.  Bring  the  water  to  a  bubbling 
boil  in  rather  a  wide  kettle,  wet  the  starch 
smooth,  and  thicker  than  cream,  in  cold  water; 
take  the  boiling  water  from  fire  and  stir  the 


8  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

wetted  starch  into  it.  Stir  hard — it  will  form 
no  lumps,  hence  need  no  straining.  A  little 
lard  put  in  while  hot  and  stirred  well  makes 
things  iron  smoother.  For  starching  tinted 
things — as  ecru  linens  or  brown  or  l)uff  lawns 
— color  the  water  with  clear  coffee  or  hay  tea 
before  putting  in  the  starch.  Use  the  black 
starch  sold  in  the  shops  for  mourning  prints, 
or  any  black-grounded  ones.  Never  dip  a 
blueing-rag  in  starch  of  any  sort.  Make  blue- 
water  as  deep  as  possible,  strain,  and  add  to 
the  hot  starch.  Even  with  liquid  blue  it  is 
well  to  strain — specks  of  blueing,  once  dry, 
are  hard  to  get  out. 

Curtains:  Dip  cream  net  or  madras  in  hay 
tea  or  weak  coffee  water,  after  rinsing — this 
keeps  the  color.  Make  the  tea  by  boiling  a 
handful  of  bright  hay  in  two  gallons  of  water 
for  twenty  minutes.  Strain,  and  add  a  pinch 
of  alum  in  powder.  Most  curtains  should  not 
be  starched.  Many  are  better  not  ironed. 
Real  lace  curtains  should  be  dried  on  sheets 
spread  on  the  floor,  every  point  pinned  smooth. 
Or  they  can  be  clapped  dry  as  though  clear- 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.     9 

starched.  So  can  net  ones.  Frame  drying  is 
quickest  and  easiest,  therefore  to  be  chosen 
for  all  but  the  finest  sorts.  Very  stretchy  net 
should  be  dried  on  sheets,  lying  lightly  crum- 
pled. A  very  little  gum  in  the  rinse  water 
gives  it  more  body.  This  applies  also  to  ma- 
dras. Iron  madras  on  the  wrong  side,  taking 
pains  not  to  warp  or  stretch  it.  Tucks  in  cur- 
tains, or  anywhere,  need  to  be  held  taut  before 
the  iron.  Sewing  of  any  kind  puckers  for 
wetting.  Put  the  least  bit  of  starch  in  muslin 
ruffles  to  be  fluted.  Hold  insertions  the  same 
as  tucks.  Iron  cretonne  on  the  wrong  side, 
when  it  is  barely  damp.  Chintz  is  exceptional 
in  requiring  a  thin  starch  and  in  looking  best 
when  ironed  on  its  face. 

Knitted  Woolens:  Knitted  things  like 
scarfs,  sacks,  sweaters,  capes  must  be  washed 
quickly  in  white  soapsuds,  lukewarm,  else  in 
cold  naphtha  suds,  rinsed,  blued  if  white,  and 
dried  in  a  crumpled  heap  in  the  sun.  Hanging 
ruins  them.  Very  fluffy  things  had  better  be 
dry-cleaned  or  washed  in  gasolene.  Do  this 
also  with  knitted  silk  hoods  and  neck  scarfs. 


10  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Lace  and  Embroidery :  If  very  much  soiled 
put  in  a  glass  or  earthen  vessel,  cover  with 
white  soapsuds,  and  set  all  day  in  full  sunshine. 
Rinse  in  cold  water,  press  lace  smooth  between 
the  hands,  and  wind  it  while  damp  about  a 
glass  jar  covered  with  old  linen.  Let  dry,  but 
do  not  iron.  Iron  embroidery  on  the  wrong 
side,  upon  its  special  padded  board  (see  section 
Equipment).  Made-up  lace,  as  fichus,  collars, 
and  so  on,  must  be  spread  smoothly  upon  a 
hard  cushion,  pinned,  and  dried  in  air.  Things 
lightly  soiled  can  be  dry-cleaned  by  lying  buried 
a  week  in  corn  starch  mixed  equally  with  cal- 
cined magnesia.  Shake  out,  brush  gently, 
and  press  under  light  weight.  Moderate  soil- 
ing is  best  remedied  with  gasolene,  changing 
it  as  it  grows  dirty.  Hang  several  days  in 
air,  under  a  thin  cover — this  takes  away  scent 
and  prevents  collecting  dust.  Silk  embroidery 
on  all  grounds  demands  gasolene  cleaning. 
Spots  must  be  taken  out  (see  section  Spots  and 
Stains)  before  cleaning.  Press  very  lightly  on 
the  wrong  side.  Treat  wool  embroidery  the 
same  way.     Embroidered  cushion  covers  must 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.    11 

\)v.  taken  oil',  well  brushed  tind  sliukeii,  also 
turned  inside  out  before  cleaning.  But  clean 
them  right  side  out. 

Laundry  Aprons:  Make  laundry  aprons  of 
strong  stulT,  but  sleazy — crash,  demin,  or  col- 
ored linen.  Cut  kimona  shape,  with  roomy 
sleeves,  and  to  slip  on  over  the  head.  Set  a 
deep  pocket  on  each  side,  within  handy  reach. 
Set  a  smaller  pocket  across  the  front  just  below 
the  waist.  Carry  clothes  pins  in  the  big 
pockets,  safety  pins,  a  handkerchief,  and  wip- 
ing-rags  in  the  other.  Make  wide  enough  for 
free  motion,  but  not  enough  to  sag  under  foot 
•  when  the  wearer  stoops.  Let  come  almost 
to  the  instep. 

Ironing-tables:  Make  board  or  table  suit 
your  height,  so  you  need  neither  stoop  at  the 
work  nor  hunch  your  shoulders.  Set  a  table 
too  low  upon  bricks  or  blocks — if  it  is  too  high, 
have  something  stable  to  stand  on.  Make 
tight-fitting  covers  for  the  table  of  unbleached 
muslin,  sewed  double  at  one  end,  to  be  slipped 
over  the  table  edge,  and  with  the  other  end 
long  enough  to  lap  over  and  safety-pin  firmly 


12  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

in  place.  Have  a  double  blanket  under  the 
cover,  laid  very  smooth. 

In  using  a  board,  set  it  high  or  low,  as  your 
height  requires. 

As  to  Soaking:  Long  soaking  of  clothes  is 
undesirable- — it  loosens  dirt  but  passes  it 
throughout  the  fabric.  An  hour  is  sufficient. 
Cover  things  that  must  stand  overnight  with 
cold  water  rather  than  hot.  Nursery  wash  in 
need  of  soaking  must  be  kept  to  itself.  So 
should  things  from  a  sickroom  that  are  badly 
fouled. 

As  to  Boiling:  Boiling  is  not  absolutely 
essential  to  clean  clothes,  still  a  means  of 
grace  toward  them.  Have  separate  boiling- 
bags  for  table  linen,  for  handkerchiefs,  for  fine 
things  like  caps  and  collars.  In  boilers  the 
best  is  the  costliest — namely,  copper.  Next 
ranks  the  cheapest — a  deep  iron  pot.  Copper- 
bottomed  tin  answers  with  good  usage.  Iron 
pots  will  crack  if  allowed  to  get  very  hot  be- 
fore water  is  put  in.  Any  boiler  should  have 
at  least  an  inch  of  water  in  it  before  going 
over  the  fire.     Likewise  it  must  be  kept  clean, 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.    13 

dry,  and  wash-worthy  by  constant  vigilance 
for  holes  and  cracks. 

Irons:  Test  by  pressing  your  cheek  against 
the  face — if  rough,  reject.  Five  to  six  pounds 
is  a  good  weight.  Half  a  dozen  will  be  none 
too  many.  Keep  clean  and  dry.  Beware  of 
setting  them  face  down  upon  live  coals  or  red- 
hot  iron — heat  pits  them  microscopically,  but 
enough  to  make  them  stick.  Polishing-irons 
are  somewhat  lighter  and  rather  different  in 
shape.  Have  an  asbestos  pad  or  w'ire  trivet 
to  set  irons  on.  Have  several  holders,  if  you 
lack  a  patent  handle,  and  shift  as  they  grow 
hot. 

A  Sickroom:  Disfurnish  of  everj^  unessen- 
tial. Leave  nothing  that  can  be  knocked  off 
or  over,  or  that  clatters  or  rattles.  Remove 
rugs  from  a  bare  floor,  but  keep  a  small  one 
handy  for  the  patient's  feet.  Cover  a  carpet 
with  a  smooth  sheet  of  something  washable. 
In  case  of  contagion  take  away  draperies  and 
pictures.  Have  the  bedstead  light  and  firm- 
standing,  not  too  low,  single  or  of  three- 
quarter  size.     Set  it  so  there  is  free  passage 


14  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

all  round  it,  but  not  so  light  glares  into  sick 
eyes.  Place  the  head  at  least  six  inches  from 
the  wall,  and  set  beside  it  a  small  solid  table. 
A  couch  or  single  bed,  ■  a  spacious  dresser,  a 
bigger  table,  and  at  most  three  chairs  are  com- 
plete equipment.  Give  up  the  dresser  to  the 
patient's  clothes,  bed  clothes,  towels,  table 
covers,  and  so  forth.  Have  three  changes  of 
clothes,  a  dressing-gown,  a  light  shawl,  .slip- 
pers, many  clean  handkerchiefs.  A  dressing- 
room  attached  is  a  godsend  —  next  to  it  a 
bathroom  easily  reached.  Lacking  either,  a 
washstand  fully  furnished  is  necessary,  also  an 
alcohol  or  oil  stove  for  hot  water. 

Toilet  ware  of  white  enamel  is  lighter  and 
safer  than  china.  Have  in  addition  a  foot 
tub  and  a  deep  covered  bucket.  Soaps,  pow- 
der, scents  at  discretion — insist,  though,  upon 
clean  wash  clothes,  a  good  sponge,  also  bottles 
of  grain  alcohol,  aromatic  ammonia,  lavender 
water,  and  camphor.  Insist  also  upon  a  demi- 
john of  disinfectant  solution — chloride  of  lime 
for  ordinary  illness,  bichloride  of  mercury  in 
cases  of  contagion  (see  section  Disinfectants) . 


WASII-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.    15 

A  Sickbed :  Should  have  a  good  spring  and 
a  light,  elastic  mattress.  Lay  upon  the  mat- 
tress a  pad  of  cotton  tacked  between  cheese- 
cloth, and  change  it  daily.  The  mattress 
should  have  a  white  cover.  Over  the  pad 
stretch  smooth  a  sheet  big  enough  to  tuck  in 
all  round  and  be  fastened  underneath  with 
safety  pins.  Pin  the  upper  sheet  only  across 
the  bottom,  and  lay  a  fold  three  inches  wide 
in  it  there,  to  save  cramping  the  toes.  Do  the 
same  with  the  blankets.  They  should  be 
light,  not  heavy.  Down  or  puffy  cotton  com- 
forts should  supply  extra  warmth  at  need. 
Lay  blankets  so  the  upper  edge  will  come  a 
foot  below  the  headboard.  The  sheet  must 
be  turned  over  them  half  a  foot  at  least  and 
be  met  by  an  outer  spread  light  and  smooth. 
Have  a  bolster  rather  hard,  and  three  pillows 
of  varying  softness.  Change  sHps  daily.  Change 
sheets  likewise,  save  in  desperate  cases  where 
the  patient  cannot  bear  moving.  Space  permit- 
ting, such  cases  should  have  two  beds,  fitted 
alike.  Shifting  can  be  done  by  setting  them  to- 
gether and  easing  the  sufferer  on  the  fresh  couch. 


16  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Heat  and  Ventilation:  Open  fires  h(>lp 
mightily  toward  keeping  a  sickroom  fresh. 
Burn  wood  that  does  not  snap  nor  give  out 
any  pungent  smell.  Coal  should  be  free- 
burning.  Put  it  in  small  paper  bags — thus 
it  can  be  laid  in  the  grate  without  noise  or 
dust.  Dampen  ashes  before  removing,  and 
keep  hearth  and  fixtures  clean  by  a  daily 
washing.  Keep  the  heat  steady — the  tempera- 
ture that  is  ordered.  Where  there  is  distress 
of  breathing,  keep  a  clean  kettle  simmering 
on  the  fire,  the  spout  turned  outward — vapor 
softens  air.  Furnace  heat  coming  through  a 
floor  register  should  be  softened  by  setting 
on  the  register  a  small  pan  of  water.  With  a 
wall  register,  fasten  in  front  of  it  a  big  sponge, 
and  wet  it  every  hour  or  so.  Radiators  should 
have  water  on  top,  in  something  wide  and 
shallow. 

If  windows  must  be  opened  at  top,  set  an 
extra  shade  at  the  bottom  with  a  hook  to  hold 
it  in  the  middle  of  the  upper  casing.  Roll  up 
the  top  shade,  lower  the  sash  sufficiently,  then 
raise  the  lower  shade  till  the  edge  is  level  with 


WASH-DAV    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.    17 

the  edge  of  tlie  sasli.  Thus  air  has  free  ingress 
without  rattling  the  upper  shade.  A  window 
which  must  be  raised  ought  to  have  a  light 
board  pivoted  into  the  casing,  so  it  can  Ije 
turned  outward  at  need,  letting  in  air  but  pre- 
venting draughts.  With  a  board  a  foot  wide 
raise  the  window  about  ten  inches.  One  win- 
dow open  at  top,  another  at  bottom  will  be  far 
more  effectual  than  a  single  window  spread 
wide.  Note  what  is  outside;  if  at  any  time 
smoke  or  the  smell  of  food  comes  in,  shut  the 
window.  Allow  no  odors  in  a  sickroom — 
neither  fruit,  flowers,  spiced  food,  nor  scented 
visitors.  This  in  severe  cases;  mild  ones  and 
convalescence  demand  no  such  rigors. 

Care  and  Keeping:  Keep  floors  clean  l)y 
wiping  with  cloths  wrung  out  of  hot  water 
barely  dashed  with  carbolic  acid.  The  smell 
passes  quickly — and  is  wholesome.  Take  off 
dust  vnih  damp  cloths — litter  must  be  pre- 
vented. Keep  a  waste  basket  handy,  also  a 
bigger  basket  for  soiled  things.  Have  them 
removed  at  once.  Put  half  a  cup  of  disin- 
fectant in  any  vessel  before  using  it,  adding 


IS  HOUSEHOLD  handbook 

enough  to  cover  discharges  as  soon  as  it  has 
been  used.  Remove  as  quickly  as  possible. 
Do  not  keep  such  things  in  a  closet.  Rather 
ambush  them  behind  a  light  screen  set  across 
a  corner. 

Have  a  table  outside  to  receive  trays,  cups, 
glasses,  uneaten  food.  Let  nothing  stand  in- 
side the  room.  The  bigger  table  is  for  medi- 
cines, clean  spoons  and  glasses,  alcohol  stove, 
and  a  supply  of  ice.  Gas  light  fouls  air  so 
quickly,  avoid  it  if  possible.  Electric  light  has 
the  drawback  of  being  hard  to  graduate.  Oil 
lamps  require  the  nicest  care.  Candles  are 
better.  Beware  of  lighting  or  extinguishing 
either  inside  the  room.  Strike  no  matches 
there  if  possible  to  avoid  it.  Even  in  lighting 
a  fire,  do  it  from  a  candle  lighted  outside.  Keep 
filled  candlesticks  on  the  outer  table  with 
matches  in  plenty,  and  extinguishers  handy. 
Take  lamps  there  to  put  them  out. 

Ice:  A  nursery  refrigerator  is  well  worth 
its  cost.  Since  it  is  not  always  to  be  had,  here 
is  a  good  substitute.  Set  a  high  wire  trivet 
inside  a  deep  agate  pan,  lay  a  lump  of  ice  on 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSLNG,    ETC.    19 

it,  then  turn  over  it  a  clean  flower  pot.  Plug 
the  hole  in  the  flower  pot,  and  cover  thickly 
with  a  folded  blanket  if  in  haste.  Time  per- 
mitting, make  a  cozy  of  cheesecloth  thickly 
padded  with  cotton  batting  and  big  enough 
to  come  to  the  table  outside  the  pan.  Empty 
the  pan  several  times  a  day.  With  an  awl 
and  a  toy  hammer  slivers  of  ice  can  be  broken 
as  needed. 

Contagion:  Filth  diseases — diphtheria,  ty- 
phoid, etc.  —  spread  through  effluvia.  Dis- 
charges of  all  sorts  should  be  deluged  with  bi- 
chloride (see  section  Disinfectants) .  Even  bath 
water  needs  a  dose  of  it  before  emptying  it. 
All  manner  of  soiled  things — towels,  sheets, 
clothes — must  be  sunk  in  a  tub  of  it  as  soon  as 
taken  off,  and  soaked  several  hours  before 
washing.  They  need  to  be  well  boiled  and 
dried  in  wind  and  sun.  Eruptive  ails — 
measles,  smallpox,  scarlet  fever  —  have  two 
periods  of  danger — in  the  fever  stage  before 
eruption,  and  when  peeling.  Measles  and 
smallpox  are  most  dangerous  in  fever;  scarlet 
fever  at  the  beginning  of  convalescence.     Rub 


20  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

a  patient  in  that  stage  well  over  with  vaseline 
at  least  twice  a  day,  bathing  afterward  with 
warm  suds  and  putting  on  fresh  clothes. 
Change  bed  linen  the  same;  disinfect  with 
extra  thoroughness.  Put  bichloride  in  the 
water  that  wets  the  floor  cloths,  and  be  sure 
no  dust  is  allowed  to  blow  outside  the  room. 
Disinfection:  Wet  everything  well  with 
bichloride  solution,  remove  furniture,  burn 
mattress  and  comforts,  boil  and  sun  blankets. 
Scrape  walls  and  ceiling,  wash  well  with  bi- 
chloride, wash  floor  and  woodwork  likewise, 
then  scour  with  carbolic  soapsuds.  Fill  cracks 
of  all  sorts  with  fresh  putty,  shut  doors  and 
windows  tight,  and  paste  strips  of  paper 
around  them.  Take  off  closet  doors,  but  leave 
inside.  Tack  a  strip  of  tin  on  the  door  of 
egress  so  it  will  lie  flat  against  the  casing. 
Put  three  bricks  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  set 
an  iron  skillet  on  them,  put  into  it  a  pound  of 
flowers  of  sulphur,  wet  it  with  alcohol,  stick  in 
a  short  length  of  fuse,  light  it,  go  out  quickly, 
close  the  door  for  a  minute,  look  in — if  the 
sulphur  is  burning,  all  is  well.     Shut  the  door 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.    21 

and  leave  undisturbctl  fur  twenty-four  hours. 
Sulphur  fumes  make  an  end  of  germs.  They 
also  bleach  out  colors  of  all  sort. 

Poultices,  Hot  Cloths,  Mustard  Plasters : 
Keep  in  stock  bags  of  old  linen  or  muslin,  with 
drawstrings  at  top,  for  poultices.  Fill  them 
three  parts,  draw  up,  and  flatten.  It  they 
must  be  hot,  have  three,  keeping  two  in  a 
steamer,  with  the  water  underneath  barely  sim- 
mering. Keep  cloths  likewise  steam-heated, 
take  out  with  a  fork,  wrap  in  a  thick  towel,  and 
apply  over  thin  flannel  to  prevent  scalding. 
Wet  mustard  poultices  with  white  of  egg  to 
prevent  blistering.  If  severe  burning  is  needed, 
wet  with  pepper  vinegar.  Make  soft  and  lay 
thin  net  or  muslin  over  the  face  of  the  poultice. 
For  a  slow,  gentle  burning  mix  the  dry  mus- 
tard one-half  with  flour. 

A  Bandage  Jar:  Tear  old  linen  into  strips 
two  to  four  inches  wide,  lap  ends  two  inches, 
and  sew  together.  Make  many  lengths — half 
a  yard  to  five.  Pull  away  ravelings,  roll 
smoothly,  and  fasten.  Put  a  few  clean  pebbles 
in  the  bottom  of  a  glass  jar,  lay  paper  over 


22  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

them,  pack  in  rolled  bandages  till  half  full, 
then  fill  with  absorbent  cotton,  and  stand  on  a 
plate  in  a  kettle  of  cold  water,  which  is  set  over 
the  fire.  The  water  ought  to  reach  the  neck 
of  the  jar  and  be  kept  at  a  temperature  of  a 
hundred  and  eighty  degrees  for  three  hours  or 
more.  Take  from  fire  then,  screw  on  jar  top, 
let  cool  in  water,  wipe,  and  set  away. 

Finger  stalls  in  variety,  with  narrow  tapes 
for  tying,  thus  sterilized,  are  a  help  to  mothers. 
Teach  children  to  suck  wounds  or  bites  or 
stings  instantly — it  abates  pain  and  takes  out 
dirt  and  poison.  Wash  the  hurt  clean,  unless 
a  blood  clot  has  formed — it  is  nature's  own 
remedy,  respect  it.  Put  on  a  stall,  hold  the 
hurt  finger  up,  and  pour  upon  it  either  arnica, 
witch  hazel,  or  turpentine.  Draw  the  edges 
of  a  cut  together,  clap  on  adhesive  plaster,  and 
hold  until  the  plaster  sets. 

Stanching  Blood:  Blood  spurting  in 
bright-red  jets  means  a  severed  artery — and 
great  danger.  A  steady,  dark-red  stream 
means  a  cut  vein.  For  either,  knot  two  hand- 
kerchiefs hard  together,   trace  the  course   of 


WASH-DAY    WISDOM,    NURSING,    ETC.   23 

the  blood  vessel,  put  the  biggest  knot  over  it, 
thrust  in  a  stick,  and  twist  until  the  knot 
presses  deep  into  the  flesh.  In  case  of  an 
artery,  put  the  knot  between  the  hurt  and  the 
trunk.  For  a  vein  set  it  between  the  wound 
and  the  extremities.  Work  fast — a  minute 
maj'  mean  life  or  death. 

Clothes  for  Nursing:  Wefir  nothing  that 
cannot  be  washc'd;  this  is  the  first  command- 
ment. Wear  nothing  that  rattles,  rustles,  or 
clings;  this  is  the  second,  even  greater.  Light 
colors  are  refreshing  to  sick  eyes,  violent 
figures  distressing.  Have  sleeves  that  can  be 
pushed  easily  above  the  elbow,  self  collars,  and 
trim  fastenings.  A  single  pin  may  scratch 
your  patient.  Eschew  hard,  starchy  edges 
even  on  an  apron.  Wear  a  cap — a  sweeping- 
cap  is  excellent — and  change  it  daily.  A  long 
kimono  apron  slipping  on  over  the  head  is  use- 
ful for  such  work  as  bathing,  giving  alcohol 
spongings,  or  massage.  One-piece  frocks  are 
imperative.  The  simpler  and  easier  the  better 
all  round. 


II 

INSIDE    A    ROOM 

As  to  Floors — Scrubbing:  Sweep  clean, 
take  out  grease  spots  and  smudges  (see  section 
Spots  and  Stains).  Have  a  light  knee  pad, 
clean  brush,  a  bucket  of  warm  water  with  a 
clean,  soft  cloth  in  it,  and  plenty  of  either  sand 
soap  or  a  good  soap  powder  at  hand.  Scrub 
well  with  a  wet  brush,  putting  soap  or  powder 
before  it.  Do  not  slop — too  much  water 
swells  boards  and  warps  them.  Scrub  a  strip, 
rinse  with  a  cloth  moderately  wet,  then  wipe 
with  the  cloth  wrung  as  dry  as  possible.  Wip- 
ing thus  quickly  takes  up  the  wet  dirt  clean. 
Work  from  each  side  toward  the  center,  finish- 
ing at  the  door.  Never  use  a  wiping-cloth 
after  it  sheds  Ihit. 

Staining:  Sweep  twice — the  last  time  with 
a  damp  cloth  pinned  over  your  broom.     Give 


INSIDE    A    ROOM  25 

new  boards  a  coat  of  filler  (see  section 
Renovators).  Let  it  dry,  sandpaper  rough 
spots,  then  give  one  or  two  coats  of  oil  stain, 
using  a  soft  brush  and  working  with  the  grain 
of  the  wood.  Keep  both  filler  and  stain  well 
stirred  while  applying,  otherwise  neither  fill- 
ing nor  color  will  be  even.  Finish  with 
shellac. 

Shellac  Floors:  Sweep,  dust  with  a  cloth- 
wrapped  broom,  moving  it  the  way  of  the 
grain.  Fill  any  cracks  or  crevices;  then  give 
a  coat  of  filler,  and  when  it  is  full  dry  two  coats 
of  shellac.  Let  the  first  coat  dry  for  twenty- 
four  hours  before  adding  the  second. 

Waxing  Hardwood  Floors:  Sweep  and 
dust,  rub  rough  spots  with  sandpaper,  take 
out  spots  or  smears — if  faded  spaces  are  left, 
rub  them  with  sandpaper  till  a  new  surface 
appears,  or  touch  with  stain,  and  let  dry. 
Go  over  in  long  strips,  working  from  opposite 
sides  with  whatever  wax  you  like,  then  rub 
until  hot  with  a  wooden  floor  pad  (see  section 
Equipment).  A  coat  of  very  thin  shellac 
makes  cleaning  easier,  but  does  not  rub  to  so 


26  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

handsome  a  surface.  Put  on  the  shellac  after 
the  wax  has  stood  a  day. 

Removing  Stain  or  Varnish:  Use  very 
strong  lye,  either  from  wood  ashes  or  com- 
mercial potash,  with  a  lump  of  washing-soda 
in  it.  Grease  the  hands  well,  so  the  caus- 
tic liquor  may  not  eat  them.  Apply  with  a 
big  sponge  or  coarse  soft  cloth,  following  with 
a  damp  cloth  wrung  hard  out  of  warm  water. 

Removing  Paint:  Metallic  paint  whose 
bases  are  white  lead,  zinc  white,  and  oxides  of 
chronium,  iron,  and  copper  mixed  in  oil  hard- 
ens to  a  very  adherent  surface,  hence  differs 
from  water  colors,  and  has  to  be  either  burned 
off  with  a  special  torch  or  planed  off.  Both 
processes  demand  skilled  workmen.  It  is  bet- 
ter to  bring  old  paint  to  a  taking  surface  by 
wetting  it  first  very  well  with  turpentine, 
then,  after  an  hour,  going  over  it  with  wood 
alcohol  and  a  thick,  crumpled  cloth.  Follow 
the  alcohol  by  washing  with  lye  or  strong  soda 
water.  Let  dry,  sandpaper  rough  places,  then 
put  on  new  paint — which  it  will  be  the  part 
of  wisdom  to  have  at  least  as  dark  as  the  old. 


INSIDE    A    ROOM  27 

Filling  Cracks:  Cracks  large  or  small  must 
be  filled  before  either  painting  or  staining, 
knot-holes  likewise.  If  a  crack  can  be  seen 
through  either,  fit  into  it  a  sliver  of  wood  before 
filling,  or  drive  in  fine  brads,  leaving  the  heads 
projecting  across  the  opening.  Bend  the  heads 
below  floor  level,  and  set  the  brads  alternately, 
several  inches  apart.  Make  putty  or  paper 
dough  (see  section  Renovators).  Fill  small  to 
medium  cracks  with  putty  mixed  soft  enough 
to  squeeze  through  a  paper  tube.  Make  the 
tube  by  rolling  cornerwise  a  square  of  tough 
waterproof  paper,  fastening  it,  and  snipping 
oflf  the  pointed  end  a  very  little.  Use  the  same 
as  a  pastry  bag.  Else  roll  lumps  of  putty  be- 
tween the  palms  to  form  rather  fat  worms, 
lay  the  worms  end  to  end  along  the  crack,  press 
them  down  with  a  putty  knife,  or  any  blunt, 
broad-bladed  one,  making  the  surface  smooth 
and  level.  If  the  putty  is  very  soft,  sift  a 
little  dry  whiting  upon  it  and  press  it  lightly. 
Put  in  paper  dough  with  a  knife  or  a  blunt 
chisel  or  screw-driver;  smooth  the  surface  by 
laying  on  a  board  and  beating  it  with  a  hammer. 


28  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

If  the  dough  smears  under  the  hammering, 
scrape  away  before  it  hardens.  Plug  knot- 
holes with  the  dough,  then  drive  brads  through 
it,  bend  down  the  heads,  and  put  a  thin  layer 
over  them. 

Cleaning  Waxed  Hardwood:  Dust  daily 
with  a  soft  old  silk  duster,  sweep  with  a  soft 
broom  in  a  clean  bag  once  a  week,  following 
by  hard  rubbing  with  the  weighted  brush. 
Every  three  months  go  over  with  a  flannel  wet 
in  turpentine,  working  very  quickly,  and  fol- 
lowing with  a  very  little  boiled  linseed  oil,  ap- 
plied with  a  clean,  hot  cloth.  Once  a  year — 
^ot  oftener — wash  clean  with  weak  warm  borax 
soapsuds,  wetting  only  a  yard  or  so  at  a  time 
and  wiping  dry  immediately.  Wax  or  oil  afresh 
after  the  washing,  and  rub  till  very  hot  with  a 
clean  pad. 

Cleaning  Stained  Floors:  Wipe  over  hard 
and  quickly  with  soft  cloths  wrung  very  dry 
out  of  hot  borax  soapsuds.  Wipe  dry  and  rub 
with  a  flannel  slightly  moistened  with  crude 
kerosene.  Beware  of  using  too  much — it 
will  streak  the  stain. 


INSIDE    A    ROOM  29 

Tile  Floors :  TiU%  the  same  as  brick,  stone, 
and  mosaic  floors,  should  be  washed  in  warm 
soapsuds,  taking  pains  not  to  slop,  rinsed  well, 
and  rubbed  thy  with  a  thick  cloth  fastened 
firndy  over  a  flat  nioj).  Be  sur(!  no  water  is 
left  standing — it  will  destroy  the  setting. 

A  Matted  Floor:  Sweep  twice,  the  last 
time  with  a  bagged  broom.  Then  wipe  quickly 
with  salt  water,  and  as  quickly  rinse  with 
fresh.  Both  waters  should  be  tepid.  If  there 
is  grime,  use  l)orax  water  instead  of  salt.  A 
yearly  wiping  with  fresh,  sweet  milk,  followed 
by  a  tepid  rinsing,  makes  matting  last  longer 
by  keeping  the  .straw  pliant.  Rinsing  is,  how- 
ever, imperative;  without  it  the  milk  draws  a 
pest  of  flies. 

Carpeted  Floors:  Damp  with  a  fine 
sprinkler  before  using  a  sweeper,  or  dip  the 
broom  tip  in  warm  water  and  shake  very  dry. 
Then  wipe  with  a  thick  towel  pinned  tight  over 
a  stubby  broom,  washing  it  out  if  it  gets  very 
dirty.  A  little  borax  dissolved  in  the  sprinkling 
water  brightens  the  carpet.  So  does  fine,  dry 
snow  sprinkled  on  and  swept  off  so  quickly  it 


30  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

has  not  time  to  melt.  But  the  best  thing  to 
renew  color  and  freshness  is  clarified  ox  gall 
dissolved  in  blood-warm  water.  Wash  the 
carpet  with  it,  after  sweeping  as  clean  as  pos- 
sible, using  the  solution  the  same  as  suds  and 
taking  pains  against  slopping. 

Rugs:  When  possible,  sun  rugs  before  sweep- 
ing, beating,  or  vacuum-cleaning  them.  Spread 
smooth  and  wipe  over  with  warm,  weak  borax 
soapsuds,  followed  by  a  tepid  rinsing.  Go 
over  both  sides,  and  let  dry  well  before  putting 
down.  Half  yearly  wipe  them  over  either 
with  the  ox-gall  solution  or  fresh  sweet  milk. 
Rinse  after  either,  but  wait  an  hour  to  do  it. 
The  animal  matter  makes  the  wool  more  alive. 
Beware  of  stretching  rugs  cornerwise.  Hang 
them  always  with  the  warp  threads  across  the 
line  or  the  pole. 

Walls,  Windows,  Ceilings — Walls:  The 
first  thing  is  to  make  them  sound  and  firm. 
Fill  breaks  great  or  small  with  plaster  (see 
section  Renovators).  Fasten  loose  trim  neat- 
ly in  place,  spread  tarpaulin  or  paper  well 
over  the  floor,  then  with  a  broom  or   long- 


INSIDE    A    ROOM  31 

handled  stiff  l)rusli  go  over  everything — walls, 
ceiling,  woodwork,  and  molding.  Painted 
walls  must  be  washed  clean  before  repainting. 
Whitewashed  ones  need  to  have  as  much  as 
possible  of  the  old  whitewash  swept  off.  Old 
paper  must  be  sprayed  with  boiling  water,  let 
stand-  till  soft,  then  scraped  off.  Paper  will 
not  stick  to  either  hard  -  finished  or  white- 
washed surfaces  unless  they  are  washed  over 
with  strong  vinegar  or  strong  alum  water,  and 
let  dry,  then  sized  either  with  glue  or  vegetable 
size  (see  section  Renovators) .  Put  windows 
in  repair  before  touching  the  walls,  and,  of 
course,  freshen  the  ceilings.  Remove  all  the 
litter  before  beginning  on  the  walls — the  less 
dust  there  is  under  your  new  coverings,  the 
longer  they  stay  fresh. 

Wall  Hangings :  Paper-hanging  is  so  simple 
and  easy  it  needs  few  directions.  Strike  a 
plumb  line  before  beginning  it.  Suspend  a 
compact  weight  by  a  chalked  cord  from  the 
ceiUng  to  the  floor,  hold  it  taut  there,  pull  out 
the  cord  and  let  it  strike  back  on  the  wall. 
With    a    beginning    absolutely    perpendicular 


32  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

you  can  make  your  figures  run  straight.  Have 
the  paper  trimmed  in  the  shop,  cutting  the 
left-hand  selvage.  Measure  in  generous  lengths, 
taking  care,  if  there  are  figures,  that  they 
match  exactly.  Lay  the  lengths,  face  down,  a 
dozen  or  so  together,  flat  upon  a  table  or 
scaffold,  and  cover  thickly  on  the  wrong  side 
with  paper-hanger's  paste  (see  section  Reno- 
vators). Beware  of  pasting  too  many  at  once 
— lying  makes  paper  tender.  Fold  back  each 
length  on  itself,  pasted  sides  together.  Open 
up  as  you  apply  to  the  wall,  with  the  edge 
true  with  the  plumb  line.  Smooth  the  middle 
first,  taking  care  to  leave  no  blisters,  then  work 
toward  the  edges,  using  a  soft,  clean  cloth  in 
each  hand.  Put  on  three  or  four  lengths,  then 
trim  along  the  baseboard.  With  a  border, 
the  top  is  not  a  matter  of  concern,  but  with  a 
molding  finish  it  must  be  extra  neat  and  firm 
in  place.  Make  door  and  window  casing  serve 
as  their  own  patterns,  by  pressing  wet  papef 
around  them  on  the  wall.  If  a  corner  out  of 
plumb  starts  your  paper  askew,  strike  a  new 
plumb  fine  beyond  it,  about  half  a  foot,  split 


INSIDE    A    ROOM  33 

a  length  of  paper,  trimming  it  so  the  figures 
shall  fit  those  in  the  length  already  on  the  cor- 
ner, lap  it  from  the  plumb  line  over  the  skewed 
length,  then  go  on  keeping  the  seams  straight. 
Choice  of  Paper :  Here  dogmatism  is  worse 
than  idle.  But,  in  a  general  way,  remember 
blue  in  all  its  tones,  blue-gray,  and  granite- 
gray  are  cool,  that  yellow  warms  a  north  light 
and  goes  beautifully  with  oak  finish,  that  red 
should  be  eschewed  except  for  rooms  used 
mostly  by  artificial  light  and  furnished  in  very 
dark  wood,  that  green  in  all  save  most  vivid 
shades  is  restful,  that  soft  wood-browns  are 
excellent  indeed  to  soften  a  glaring  light,  that 
white-enameled  papers,  with  the  faintest  relief 
of  gilt  in  the  picture  moldings,  make  the  finest 
possible  backgrounds  for  old  prints  and  etch- 
ings, and,  most  important,  that  only  plain 
papers  will  bear  having  pictures  hung  upon 
them,  unless  indeed  the  pattern  is  so  soft  as 
to  be  indistinguishable.  Bedroom  papers 
ought  to  be  light  and  cheerful,  but  not  staring. 
A  plain  ground  with  a  border,  deep  or  shallow, 
makes  a  wall  that  does  war  with  furnishings. 


34  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

A  painted  wall  with  a  cut-out  border  matching 
the  ground  tone  is  a  very  excellent  choice  for 
bedrooms.  It  gives  the  color  value  of  paper, 
and  is  more  sanitary  and  more  secure  against 
invasion. 

Burlaps,  Cretonne,  Linen,  and  Silk:  All 
are  easily  and  quickly  applied  to  walls,  but  the 
fitting  which  goes  before  may  be  a  bit  bother- 
some. Strike  a  plumb  line  same  as  for  paper. 
Measure  lengths,  cutting  so  as  to  match 
figures.  Aim  to  have  the  cutting,  top  and 
bottom,  strike  exactly  in  the  middle  of  the 
pattern — this  obviates  any  waste.  Allow  an 
inch  for  turning  under  top  and  bottom,  un- 
less the  finish  is  to  be  molding — for  that  tack 
single.  Have  your  gimp  on  reels  so  it  will 
not  snarl,  and  provide  a  great  plent}''  of  tacks. 
Sew  lengths  together  on  the  machine,  using  flax 
thread,  but  not  too  coarse,  a  moderately  long 
stitch  and  tension  that  does  not  draw.  Take 
pains  to  match  figures  and  fit  the  lengths  to  the 
wall  as  several  are  sewn  together.  This  is 
trouble  that  may  save  worse,  as  a  boggle  dis- 
covered quickly  is  half  remedied.     Burlaps  can 


INSIDE   A   ROOM  36 

be  pasted  on,  the  same  a.s  paper.  Other  things 
must  be  tacked  on,  and  the  edges  covered  with 
molding  or  narrow  gimp  matching  their 
colors.  Tack  loosely  at  first,  holding  the  cloth 
smooth  but  taking  care  not  to  stretch  it.  The 
threads  in  it  must  run  true.  At  inequalities  of 
wall,  as  in  corners,  take  a  tuck  on  the  wrong 
side,  press  it  flat,  and  put  a  line  of  fine  tacks  in 
the  seam.  Use  barely  enough  tacks  in  the 
wall  cover  to  hold  it  firmly  in  place — those 
in  the  gimp,  which  must  be  set  evenly  and  not 
too  far  apart,  will  secure  it.  Burlap,  even  when 
pasted,  looks  better  with  a  line  of  brass  tacks 
at  top  and  bottom.  Cloth  is  a  fine  wall  cover- 
ing for  halls,  parlors,  dining-rooms,  even  living- 
rooms,  if  they  are  never  slept  in.  But  in  bed- 
rooms, no  matter  how  careful  the  housekeeping, 
it  is  not  desirable. 

Painted  Walls:  To  paint  a  clean  wall  re- 
quires nothing  beyond  a  brush,  a  step  ladder, 
a  can  of  ready-mixed  paint,  and  a  right  good 
will.  Stir  the  paint  well  before  taking  out  any, 
and  keep  it  stirred  well  to  the  end.     Otherwise 

your  wall  will  be  like  Joseph's  coat  of  many 
4 


36  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

colors — earth  paints  have  a  trick  of  settUng, 
no  matter  what  they  are  mixed  in.  Begin  at 
the  top,  use  steady  strokes  of  the  brush,  join 
them  well,  and  rub  back  and  forth  to  an  even, 
smooth  surface.  Paint  as  far  as  you  can  reach 
handily,  then  step  down  a  rung,  paint  below, 
and  repeat.  A  new  wall  will  take  two  coats; 
one  already  painted,  unless  very  much  defaced, 
needs  but  one.  The  paint  can  be  varnished 
after  it  is  dry;  but  the  self-finish  is  pleasanter. 
Calcimine  is  put  on  exactly  the  same  as  paint, 
but  the  first  coat  must  be  very  thin,  the  second 
thicker  than  cream,  and  the  color  if  any,  stirred 
well  through  the  last  coat.  Remember,  with 
either  paint  or  calcimine,  the  dry  wall  will 
show  much  lighter  than  the  paint  in  the  pot. 
Whitewashed  Walls:  Brush  off  loose  par- 
ticles, wash  grimy  spots  clean,  take  out  grease 
spots  (see  section  Spots  and  Stains),  have  your 
whitewash  ready,  keep  it  hot,  do  the  work,  if 
possible,  in  dry,  sunny  weather,  hot  or  cold, 
and  provide  several  brushes — long-handled, 
short,  and  medium.  Have  a  bucket  of  water 
to  stand  them  in  when  not  in  use.     In  white- 


INSIDE    A    ROOM  37 

washing  above  your  head,  wear  glasses  and 
stand  upon  something  stable.  Wear  also  a 
light  hat  with  a  narrow  brim,  and  loose,  soft, 
wash-leather  gloves.  Save  strain  by  having 
the  whitewash  pot  of  handy  size,  refilling  from 
the  main  supply  at  need.  Use  either  milk  white- 
wash or  indoor  whitewash  (see  section  Reno- 
vators). Wood  takes  up  less  whitewash  than 
other  things — two-thirds  as  much  as  plaster, 
half  as  much  as  brick  or  stone.  Whitewash 
well  dashed  with  carbolic  acid  is  the  best  and 
most  sanitary  finish  for  the  inside  of  cellars, 
stables,  and  outhouses  generally. 

Window  Glazing:  Take  out  sash,  break 
away  panes,  and  remove  old  putty.  If  there 
are  whole  panes  guiltless  of  putty,  take  them 
out  carefully  and  scrape  the  sash  clean,  the 
same  as  with  a  broken  pane.  Lay  the  sash 
face  down,  and  fit  in  new  panes.  Set  a  tiny 
tack  on  each  of  the  four  sides  so  as  to  hold  the 
panes.  Then  put  in  glazier's  points — to  be 
had  at  any  shop.  Small  tacks  will  serve  in- 
stead. Press  in  the  points,  letting  them  lie 
flat  on  the  glass.     Then  lay  a  worm  of  putty 


38  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

over  glass  and  points,  and  smooth  it  in  place 
with  a  blunt  knife.  Dip  the  knife  now  and 
then  in  cold  water — and  keep  it  wiped  clean 
of  adherent  putty.  Smear  the  glass  as  little 
as  possible,  and  wipe  away  smears  as  quickly 
as  made.  Let  lie  until  the  putty  hardens  a 
trifle.  Paint  it  as  soon  as  it  is  firm.  Other- 
wise it  will  weather  and  crumble.  Indeed,  it 
is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  paint  putty  over  once 
a  year. 

Ceilings:  Papering  a  ceiling  it  not  easy, 
still  not  impossible  to  amateurs.  It  demands 
a  tall  stable  scaffold  almost  the  length  of  the 
room — boxes  set  upon  an  extension  table  will 
answer  very  well.  Cut  lengths  of  paper,  match- 
ing the  figures,  paste,  fold,  and  apply  quickly. 
Begin  work  in  the  middle  of  the  ceiling — thUs 
it  is  easier  to  keep  the  seams  true.  Fasten  an 
end  lightly  to  the  ceiling,  then  press  lightly 
along  the  middle  till  you  come  to  the  other 
end.  Sight,  and  if  this  first  length  is  bias  or 
crooked,  loosen  it  and  put  it  on  straight. 
Press  on  very  hard  and  be  sure  there  are  no 
blisters.     Small  blisters  can  be  pin-pricked  and 


INSIDE    A    ROOM  39 

patted  down,  but  big  ones  require  to  have  the 
paper  Hftcd  bodily,  the  air  pressed  out,  then 
the  paper  patted  back.  CeiUng  paper  ought 
to  have  very  small  figures  and  delicate  tones, 
much  lighter  than  those  of  the  walls. 

Fabrics  of  any  sort  are  best  applied  to  ceil- 
ings  in  separate  lengths  and  the  joins  covered 
with  heavy  moldings  put  on  with  brass-headed 
nails.  This  gives  much  the  effect  of  a  beamed 
ceiling  at  lower  cost.  A  ceiling  that  crumbles 
badly  should  have  strips  of  smooth  deal  nailed 
fast  to  it  at  even  distances.  The  fabric  can 
then  be  tacked  to  these  with  no]  fear  of 
falling. 

If  a  ceiling  is  too  high,  never  put  anything 
striped  on  the  wall.  A  heavy  border  appar- 
ently lowers  a  ceiling — all  the  more  if  it  is  put 
on  several  inches  below  the  ceiling  proper,  and 
the  wall  space  finished  to  match  overhead. 

Calcimine  and  Whitewash:  Both  are  ap- 
plied the  same  way — with  soft,  broad  brushes 
slapped  back  and  forth  until  no  grain  shows. 
The  surface  must  be  clean  and  free  of  loose 
particles.     Wash  off  old  calcimine  with  strong 


40  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

soda  water  and  let  dry  before  applying  fresh. 
Put  on  three  coats,  the  same  as  for  walls. 
The  prepared  cakes  are  cheap  and  handy,  but 
there  is  more  certainty  and  more  satisfaction 
in  home-mixing  (see  section  Renovators). 


Ill 

EQUIPMENT   AND    RENOVATORS 

Equipment:  Tlicse  things  will  make  house- 
work easier  "by  saving  strength  and  temper. 
Being  neither  costly  nor  cumbersome,  the 
simplest  home  may  well  find  room  for  them 
or  such  part  of  them  as  it  needs. 

A  Knee  Pad:  Make  of  stout  cloth  twenty 
inches  by  twelve,  stuff  two  inches  thick,  tack 
in  lines  to  hold  flat,  and  sew  oilcloth  upon  the 
under  side. 

A  Foot  Pad :  Make  two  feet  square,  stuff  an 
inch  and  a  half  thick,  and  tack  flat.  Stand  on 
it  when  ironing,  washing,  or  preparing  food. 
It  saves  strength  and  prevents  cold  feet. 

A  Floor  Pad :  For  rubbing  waxed  hardwood 
or  stained  floors.  Get  a  block  of  wood,  brick- 
shaped,  hollow  the  upper  edges  on  both  sides 
so  it  can  be  grasped,  put  a  strap  across,  then 


42  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

cover  the  lower  face  with  many  thicknesses  of 
flannel  and  chamois  skin.  Alternate  them  and 
have  leather  outside.  Keep  dry  and  away 
from  dust. 

A  Water  Wagon :  Screw  castors  to  the  cor- 
ners of  a  board  a  foot  square.  A  pail  set  on 
it  can  bo  pushed  about  much  easier  than  lifted. 

Broom  Bags:  Have  a  set  of  six^two  each 
of  crash,  Turkish  toweling,  and  outing  flannel. 
Keep  clean,  and  be  sure  the  dramng-tapes  are 
not  left  knotted  or  broken. 

Brooms:  Have  at  least  two  brooms — one 
stiff,  one  pliant.  Choose  fine  straw  of  a 
greenish  cast  rather  than  yellow.  Eschew 
painted  handles;  sandpaper  is  the  remedy  for 
rough  places.  Put  a  screw  eye  in  the  tip 
of  the  handles  and  hang  the  brooms  from 
hooks.     Wash  before  hanging  up. 

Floor  Brushes:  A  weighted  brush  needs  to 
be  kept  dry  and  clean  and  so  set  that  the 
bristles  do  not  crush.  Choose  it  light  rather 
than  heavy.  See  that  the  handle  is  set  at  the 
angle  to  suit  your  height  and  that  the  bristles 
are  of  the  very  Ijost  quality. 


EQUIPMENT    AND    RENOVATORS         43 

Dust  Cloths:  Make  of  many  sorts  and 
sizes,  from  a  foot  square  to  half  a  yard. 
Cheesecloth,  flannel,  old  silk,  and  crash — all 
answer  well.  Overcast  edges  loosely  instead 
of  hemming.  Keep  clean  and  dry  in  a  box 
or  drawer. 

Dust  Swabs:  Tie  a  handful  of  cotton,  ex- 
celsior, or  even  crumpled  paper  inside  a  soft 
cloth  and  about  the  end  of  a  light  rod.  Use  to 
dust  walls,  floors,  and  ceilings,  changing  the 
cloth  as  it  gets  dirty.  Sprinkling  the  cloth 
with  alcohol,  turpentine,  or  gasolene  makes  it 
more  effective  where  the  dust  is  grimy. 

A  Silk  Duster:  Crumple  soft  old  silk  into 
a  big  floppy  rosette  and  fasten  to  a  rod. 
Use  upon  pictures  and  picture  moldings,  also 
on  waxed  floors  newly  polished. 

Ironing-boards:  Shape  the  blanket,  sew 
up,  and  fit  smoothly,  letting  the  small  end  of 
the  board  project  bare  an  inch  or  two.  Draw 
taut  over  the  wide  end  and  sew  wdth  flax 
thread.  Make  shaped  covers  of  unbleached 
cotton,  open  at  the  small  end,  rounded  to  fit 
the  other  and  hemmed.     Draw  on  a  cover  and 


44  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

pin  tight  at  the  broad  end.  Let  the  seams 
come  along  the  edge  of  the  board.  Change 
covers  after  use.  Have  a  smaller  board, 
similarly  covered,  to  use  when  sitting  down — 
it  is  laid  on  the  knees.  Have  also  a  covered 
bosom  board  if  shirts  are  home-ironed,  and  a 
smooth  straight  board  of  handy  size,  covered 
with  two  thicknesses  of  flannel  and  one  of 
clean  cotton,  for  ironing  embroidery  or  any- 
thing raised. 

Sprinklers:  Keep  a  tin  sprinkler  with  a 
fine  rose  for  dampening  clean  clothes  or 
sprinkling  floors  or  carpets.  If  ammonia  or 
alcohol  is  put  into  the  sprinkling-water,  rinse 
the  sprinkler  well  before  putting  it  away. 

A  Tool  Box :  Fill  cracks  with  putty  to  keep 
out  dampness,  hinge  on  a  cover,  and  furnish 
with  a  padlock.  Keep  in  it  a  sharp  fine  saw, 
a  hatchet,  tack  hammer,  brace  and  assorted 
bits,  chisel,  monkey  wrench,  screw-driver,  and 
gimlets.  Also  assorted  brads,  tacks,  wire  nails, 
screw  hooks,  screw  eyes,  and  picture  wire. 
A  putty  knife  is  useful.  A  T-square  and  foot 
rule  are  indispensable.     Keep  the  box  station- 


EQUIPMENT    AND    RENOVATORS  45 

ary,  and  insist  that  whatever  is  taken  from  it 
shall  be  put  back  in  good  condition. 

A  Wax  Board:  Cover  a  small  clean  board 
with  flannel,  sewing  it  firmly,  rub  the  flannel 
well  over  with  softened — not  melted — paraffine, 
and  keep  for  smoothing  irons. 

A  Laundry  Cabinet:  Have  a  laundry  cab- 
inet if  it  is  no  more  than  starch  boxes  set  one 
on  the  other.  Keep  in  it  starch,  soap,  blueing, 
Javelle  water  for  stains,  soap  powder,  washing- 
soda,  irons  and  holders,  the  wax  board,  and 
sandpaper,  which  is  sovereign  for  roughened 
irons.  Keep  also  a  filled  pin  cushion  and  a 
bundle  of  clean  rags.  Close  with  a  roller  shade 
instead  of  door  or  curtain. 

A  Clothes  Drainer:  Tack  coarse  burlap 
over  a  big  wooden  hoop  so  loosely  it  sags 
smartly.  Nail  stout  legs  to  the  hoop,  spreading 
them  so  a  tub  can  be  set  underneath.  Drop 
clothes  sopping  wet  from  the  rinse  into  the 
hoop,  and  save  time,  strength,  and  wear. 

A  Lead  Swab :  For  use  on  marble,  brick,  or 
stone — especially  good  for  removing  smoke 
and  rust  stains.     Sew  a  pound  of  buckshot 


46  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

rather  tightly  inside  stout  canvas,  tie  the  canvas 
in  chamois  skin,  and  change  the  leather  as  it 
grows  soiled. 

Sawdust:  Get  a  peck  of  clean  non-resinous 
sawdust,  sift,  and  sun  or  oven-dry.  Keep  dry. 
Use  on  floors,  also  for  drying  and  polishing 
intricate  surfaces.  Heat  for  use,  but  do  not 
scorch. 

Pine  Needles:  Clean  pine  needles,  if  avail- 
able, should  be  kept  for  polishing  floors,  either 
hardwood  or  stained.  Heat  very  slightly  and 
strew  them  in  front  of  the  weighted  brush  or 
broom. 

Brick  Dust:  Beat  a  soft  brick  to  powder, 
sift  it  and  keep  dry.  Use  with  a  chamois 
dipped  in  oil,  else  upon  the  cut  surface  of  a  raw 
potato.  Especially  useful  for  spots  on  steel 
or  for  polishing  pewter  and  copper. 

A  Wall  Mop :  Cut  washed  cheesecloth  into 
even  strips,  tack  as  many  as  can  be  firmly 
fastened  to  the  end  of  a  light  rod,  and  shake 
free  of  lint.  Clean  by  dipping  up  and  down 
in  soapsuds  or  gasolene  after  use. 

Care  of  Brushes:   All  manner  of  brushes, 


EQUIPMENT    AND    RENOVATORS         47 

especially  floor  and  vegetable  ones,  should  be 
washed  clean,  scalded  by  dipping  to  the  back, 
no  deeper,  in  boiling  water,  then  dried,  brush 
down,  in  open  air,  and  kept  dry.  Whisk 
brooms  should  hang  the  same  as  full-grown 
ones,  likewise  hearth  brooms.  Stand  clothes 
and  hair  brushes  bristles  down — this  so  they 
may  not  collect  dust.  The  safest  wash  for  them 
is  gasolene,  letting  it  come  only  to  the  back, 
not  over  it.  Hot  borax  soapsuds,  likewise 
used,  clean  without  loosening  the  bristles. 

Renovators — Filler  for  New  Wood:  Sift 
twice  together  half  a  pint  of  powdered  corn 
starch  and  as  much  whiting.  Stir  gradually 
into  a  half  gallon  of  raw  linseed  oil  mixed  with 
the  same  quantit}^  of  turpentine.  Take  care 
there  are  no  lumps  and  keep  well  stirred  while 
putting  on. 

Oil  Stains:  Use  the  same  mixture  of  oil 
and  turpentine.  For  cherry  put  into  the 
gallon  an  ounce  of  Indian  red,  stir  well  through, 
test,  if  too  pale  add  more  color.  If  too  deep, 
add  oil  and  turpentine.  Work  with  the  wood 
grain  in  putting  on  any  sort  of  stain. 


48  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Mahogany  Stain:  Four  parts  Indian  red, 
three  parts  burnt  sienna.  Mix  dry  and  stir 
evenly  through  the  oil  and  turpentine.  Use 
half  sienna  for  a  dull  tone.  To  make  stains 
dry  quickly  add  a  pint  more  turpentine  and 
half  a  pint  less  oil. 

Walnut  Stain:  Use  burnt  umber,  an  ounce 
to  the  gallon.  A  little  dry  ocher  mixed  with 
the  umber  gives  a  livelier  tone.  Red  or  yellow, 
or  both,  can  be  put  in,  but  must  be  very  well 
mixed. 

Oak  Stain:  Raw  umber  is  the  basis  of  oak 
stain;  proportion  and  mix  like  the  others. 
Antique  oak  requires  burnt  sienna  mixed  well 
with  a  very  little  lampblack,  also  to  have  two 
parts  of  turpentine  to  one  of  oil.  Apply  it 
with  a  sponge  or  swab  of  cotton  waste  and  rub 
into  the  grain  lines,  leaving  the  spaces  between 
bare. 

Wax  Finish  for  Stained  or  Hardwood: 
Melt  over  boiling  water  half  a  pound  of  3'ellow 
beeswax  with  half  a  pint  of  sweet  oil.  Beat 
hard  a  minute,  take  from  fire,  add  half  a  cup 
of  turpentine,  and  beat  until  nearly  cold.    Keep 


EQUIPMENT    AND    RENOVATORS         49 

covered  in  glass  or  earthenware.  Apply  soft, 
but  not  liquitl,  with  a  clean  flannel,  and  polish 
by  rubbing  until  hot. 

Dancing -wax :  Used  on  Colonial  ballrooms. 
Melt  together  over  boiling  water  a  pound  of 
yellow  beeswax  and  half  a  pint  or  filtered 
neat's-foot  oil.  Add  resin  the  size  of  a  walnut 
melted  in  half  a  cup  of  new  unsalted  butter. 
Beat  well,  take  from  fire,  stir  in  a  cup  of  tur- 
pentine, and  keep  covered.  Apply  soft,  and 
polish  with  hard  rubbing. 

Furniture  Polish  No.  1 :  Equal  parts  of 
sweet  oil,  choloroform,  and  alcohol  shaken  hard 
together,  rubbed  on  cjuickly,  then  polished  by 
rubbing  until  hot. 

Piano  Polish:  Shake  hard  together  equal 
parts  of  sweet  oil,  turpentine,  and  vinegar. 
Add  a  very  little  naphtha,  apply  with  silk  or 
flannel,  and  rub  hard  afterward. 

French  Polish:  For  dark  wood,  especially 
old  mahogany.  Melt  together  over  hot  water 
ten  parts  pale  resin,  ten  parts  pahn  oil.  Mix, 
take  from  fire,  add  eighty  parts  benzine,  one 
part  essence  peppermint,  and  half  a  part  es- 


50  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

sence  of  verbena.  Keep  sealed  in  glass,  away 
from  heat.  Use  away  from  light  or  fire.  Ap- 
ply with  soft  old  silk,  and  polish  by  rubbing 
with  very  soft  silk  or  flannel. 

The  Glue  Pot:  Melt  glue  only  as  required* 
Cover  dfy  glue  with  cold  water  after  breaking 
up  well,  put  salt  water  in  the  bath  outside, 
bring  to  a  boil,  then  simmer  until  the  glue  ropes 
a  little.  Thin  with  hot  vinegar.  To  mend 
things  white  or  light-colored,  melt  the  clearest 
glue  in  a  china  cup  inside  a  saucepan,  and  thin 
after  melting  with  gin  instead  of  vinegar. 

To  Make  Glue  Size :  Melt  a  pound  of  glue, 
thin  with  a  quart  of  hot  vinegar,  then  stir  well 
through  two  to  five  gallons  hot  water,  according 
to  the  strength  required. 

Vegetable  Size :  Tie  a  gallon  of  wheat  bran 
or  corn-meal  bran  loosely  in  net  or  cheesecloth ; 
boil  for  five  hours  in  five  gallons  of  water,  filling 
up  as  it  boils  away.  Add  a  lump  of  alum  after 
the  bran  bag  is  removed.  Apply  hot  to  walls 
or  wood. 

Calcimine:  Stir  sifted  whiting  into  strong 
glue  size  until  it  is  thicker  than  cream.     Clear 


EQUIPMENT    AND    RENOVATORS         51 

with  a  little  blueing.  Thin  at  need  with  boiling 
water.  Tint  with  earth  colors  in  powder. 
Red  and  yellow  ocher  mixed  give  a  pinkish- 
cream  tint;  yellow  alone  true  cream.  Indian 
red  makes  pink;  by  adding  burnt  sienna  the 
color  is  pinkish  fawn.  Yellow  ocher  with 
burnt  umber  gives  various  shades  of  brown. 
Always  mix  colors  rather  pale  at  first,  try  out 
on  a  board,  then  add  what  is  lacking. 

Whitewashes :  Either  glue  or  vegetable  size 
may  be  the  foundation.  Add  a  big  lump  of 
salt  to  five  gallons  of  size,  stir  well,  and  pour 
boiling  hot  upon  half  a  peck  of  unslaked  lime. 
Clear  with  Prussian  blue  and  apply  very  hot. 
For  sanitary  carbolic  whitewash  use  vegetable 
size,  dissolving  in  five  gallons,  boiling  hot,  two 
ounces  of  carbolic  crystals.  Then  pour  upon 
the  lime  and  mix  well.  Two  ounces  of  cop- 
peras— green  vitriol — dissolved  instead  of  the 
carbolic  acid  gives  a  faint-yellow  tinge  and  is  a 
good  prophylactic.  To  kill  vermin,  as  in 
poultry  houses,  nest  boxes,  and  so  on,  mix 
through  a  pail  of  hot  wash  five  grains  of  corro- 
sive sublimate  dissolved  in  a  pint  of  water; 


52  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

put  on  as  a  first  coat,  and  after  a  while  give  a 
second  coat  of  plain  whitewash. 

Milk  Whitewash :  Stir  into  a  gallon  of  sweet 
milk  enough  unslaked  lime  in  fine  powder  to 
make  it  thicker  than  cream.  Add  a  teacup  of 
turpentine,  stir  well,  and  put  on  at  once  with 
a  paint  brush.  This  sticks  to  smooth  wood 
nearly  the  same  as  paint,  and  can  be  colored 
with  earth  paints  almost  any  shade. 

Paste  for  Paper-hanging:  Wet  up  smooth 
in  cold  water  two  tablespoonfuls  of  flour  and 
stir  it  into  a  gallon  of  water  on  the  bubbling 
boil.  Stir  hard  to  prevent  lumps,  add  a  small 
spoonful  of  tallow,  cook  for  several  minutes, 
then  add  an  ounce  of  alum  dissolved  in  half 
a  pint  of  boiling  water.  Take  from  fire  and 
add  Um  drops  oil  of  cloves. 

White  Mucilage:  For  mending  books  and 
making  scrap  books.  Cover  clean  gum 
tragacanth  with  cold  water,  let  stand  till  dis- 
solved, then  add  oil  of  cloves  to  keep  from 
molding.  Keep  in  a  glass  jar  tightly  closed. 
This  leaves  no  mark. 

Gum  Arabic:  For  clear  starching  and  shirt 


EQUIPMENT    AND    RENOVATORS         53 

bosoms,  (let  four  ounces  of  dry  gum,  pick 
over  careful!}',  throwing  out  dark  pieces  and 
blowing  away  dust.  Pour  upon  it  a  pint  of 
boiling  water,  let  stand  till  dissolved,  filter, 
and  bottle.  A  tablespoonful  added  to  a  quart 
of  starch  gives  a  high  gloss.  Two  spoonfuls  in 
a  quart  of  tepid  water  will  stiffen  fine  lawn  or 
muslin  sufficiently  and  restore  the  new  look. 

Paper  Dough:  Crumple  newspaper  very 
soft,  tear  to  bits,  dampen,  pound,  and  knead 
well,  then  wet  with  strong  glue  size  and  knead 
to  a  dough.  For  wall  breaks,  rat  holes,  filling 
yawning  cracks,  or  rounding  corners,  mix  in 
plaster  of  Paris  at  the  moment  of  application 
and  pound  in  place  before  the  plaster  sets. 
Mix  only  what  can  be  used  at  once. 

White  Cement:  Mix  sifted  whiting  to  a 
soft  dough  with  white  of  egg,  for  filling  small 
holes  in  white  walls  or  cracks  in  ceilings. 
Press  in  with  a  blunt  knife  and  smooth  the 
surface  with  the  blade  dipped  in  cold  water. 

Sand  and  Plaster:  Sift  together  fine  sand 
and  plaster,  wet  with  hot  water,  and  use  to 
fill  bigger  break*  in  a  wall.     Wet  only  a  little 


54  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

at  a  time  and  work  quickly.  Lay  a  board  over 
the  mortar  as  soon  as  in  place,  and  beat  with  a 
hammer  to  smooth. 

Putty:  Sift  two  pounds  of  whiting  into  a 
bowl,  make  a  hole  in  the  middle,  and  wet 
with  raw  linseed  oil,  soft  or  stiff  according  to 
your  requirements.  Knead  the  same  as  dough. 
To  keep,  pack  down  in  glass  and  pour  a  little 
oil  over  the  top.  Should  be  always  on  hand, 
as  it  is  about  the  most  useful  of  the  renovators. 

Cement  for  Glass:  Cover  isinglass  with 
gin  in  a  glass  jar,  set  in  sunshine  until  dissolved, 
then  filter.  It  should  be  as  clear  as  water. 
For  mending  colored  glass  rub  down  a  trifle 
of  oil  color  in  a  spoonful  of  the  cement. 

Sugar  Cement:  Cook  to  candy  height  the 
])urest  loaf  sugar.     Apply  hot  to  heated  edges. 

Li  me  Water :  Pour  a  gallon  of  boiling  water 
upon  a  lump  of  quicklime  the  size  of  two  fists. 
Stir  hard,  let  settle,  pour  off  the  clear  water, 
bottle,  and  keep  corked  tight. 

Javelle  Water :  A  l)lcach  so  effectual  it  must 
not  touch  colors.  Dissolve  half  a  pound  of 
washing-soda  in  a  pint  of  Ijoiling  water,  and 


EQUIPMENT    AND    RENOVATORS         55 

add  it  to  a  quart  of  boiling  water  in  which  a 
quarter  pound  of  chloride  of  lime  has  been 
dissolved.  Stir,  let  settle,  pour  off  clear, 
bottle,   cork,   and   keep  dark. 

Chloride -of -lime  Water:  Pour  a  gallon  of 
Iwiling  water  upon  a  pound  of  dry  chloride. 
Stir  well,  let  settle,  pour  off  clear,  bottle,  and 
keep  well  corked,  dark,  and  cool.  Dissolve 
in  wood  or  earthenware — metal  corrodes. 

Oxalic  Acid:  Put  four  ounces  of  crystals 
with  half  a  pint  cold  water  into  a  quart  bottle, 
shake  hard  and  often  till  the  crystals  dissolve. 
This  makes  a  saturated  solution.  If  ragged 
crystals  remain,  add  a  gill  more  cold  water. 
Keep  plainly  labeled  "Poison."  Take  care  not 
to  let  it  touch  a  scratch  or  fresh  cut  on  the 
hands,  also  to  keep  it  away  from  children. 

Copperas  Water :  Dissolve  a  heaping  table- 
spoonful  of  copperas  in  a  gallon  of  boiling 
water.  Pour  through  drains,  sinks,  or  into 
gutters.  Sprinkle  bad-smelling  places  plen- 
tifully with  it  and  spray  it  over  green-scummed 
pools.  It  is  an  ideal  disinfectant — cheap, 
odorless,  and  effectual,  withal  safe. 


IV 
CHINA,  r.LARS,  AND   FURNITURE 

Washing  Fine  China:  Never  soak  fine 
china,  never  wash  it  with  scouring-soap,  soap 
powder,  nor  yellow-resin  soap.  Unless  very 
greasy  clean  with  borax  water.  Wipe  and 
scrape  off  as  much  soil  as  possible  before 
washing.  Have  the  water  pleasantly  warm — 
boiling  water  is  ruinous.  Rinse  water  should 
be  a  trifle  hotter  than  the  suds.  Except  in 
emergencies,  never  put  on  any  sort  of  soap. 
Put  only  a  few  pieces  at  a  time  into  the  suds, 
wash,  rinse,  and  stand  to  drain.  Have  a  thick 
cloth  on  the  draining-board — with  very  thin 
ware  have  another  thick  cloth  over  the  pan 
bottom.  Change  suds  as  they  grow  dirty. 
Add  hot  water  from  time  to  time.  Even  tem- 
perature is  the  thing.  Wipe  with  soft  clean 
towels  after  draining  well,  but  before  the  ware 


CHINA.    GLASS,    FURNITURE  57 

is  dry.  Wash  things  in  sets;  as  dried  lay  a 
paper  napkin  between,  and  set  away  the  pile 
upon  something  soft.  Squares  of  Turkish 
toweling  are  excellent. 

Use  a  soft  thick  brush  for  relief  or  incised 
decorations  or  lace  edges.  Dip  it  lightly  in 
powdered  borax  or  white  soapsuds  and  rub 
steadily  but  not  too  hard.  Set  things  which 
have  held  milk,  creams,  thick  soups,  sauces, 
or  gelatine  compounds  in  clear  warm  water 
for  three  minutes,  and  rub  away  as  much  of 
what  sticks  to  them  as  possible  before  putting 
them  into  the  suds.  Soap  combined  with 
milk  or  gelatine  makes  the  water  slimy,  the 
ware  sticky.  Boiling  water  sets  either  milk 
or  gelatine.  If  possible,  rinse  and  wash  things 
soiled  with  them  as  soon  as  empty.  In  wiping 
do  not  rub  gilt  borders — rather  pat  them  dry. 

Burnish  half  yearly  with  a  swab  of  sifted 
whiting  tied  in  soft  silk.  Intricate  gilding 
may  have  the  whiting  sifted  on  while  damp 
and  brushed  off  after  drying.  In  storing  keep 
sets  and  sizes  together.  Set  things  so  they 
will   not   jostle   nor   clatter   nor   tip.     Stand 


58  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

platters  on  edge  in  a  special  grooved  shelf,  the 
biggest  at  the  back.  If  piled,  put  something 
between,  less  to  save  breakage  than  to  prevent 
a  possible  chipping  of  glaze.  Things  bought 
in  cases  should  be  stored  in  them,  the  cases  set 
in  drawers  or  on  low  shelves.  High  setting 
invites  dropping  and  ruinous  breakage. 

Ironstone  and  Majolica:  Wash  in  warm 
(not  hot)  suds,  with  a  clean  soft  cloth,  rinse  in 
hotter  water,  and  wipe  almost  immediately. 
Beware  of  chipping,  beware  also  of  cracking 
glaze  by  setting  in  heat  or  boiling  water. 
Such  ware  is  porous  enough  to  take  up  grease 
and  other  things.  Cracked  or  chipped  dishes 
should  not  be  used  except  to  hold  things  like 
raw  fruit,  bread,  sandwiches,  or  dry  stores. 

Gilt  and  Cut  Glass:  Remove  cream  or 
jelly  with  a  quick  rinse,  wash  in  suds  or  borax 
water,  a  little  more  than  blood-warm,  using  a 
clean  soft  brush  on  the  cuttings.  Have  a  cloth 
on  the  pan  bottom  if  the  cutting  is  deep,  the 
article  of  good  size.  Use  white  soap — resin 
soaps  get  into  fine  lines  and  stay  there.  Pass 
from  suds  into  a  hotter  rinse  water,  turn  over 


CHINA,   GLASS,    FURNITURE  59 

and  about,  lift,  turn  upsitle  clown,  then  plunge 
into  another  water  a  very  little  hotter.  If 
the  ware  is  very  white,  the  third  water  should 
have  salt  in  it — a  ta])l('spoonful  to  the  gallon. 
With  glass  less  white,  put  blueing  in  the  third 
water,  turn  about,  and  set  upside  down  upon  a 
thick  cloth  for  three  minutes,  then  put  in  a  box 
and  sift  over  hot  fine  sawdust — ''jeweler's 
sawdust"  if  possible,  else  dust  with  fine  whit- 
ing, set  in  a  warm  (not  hot)  place  and  leave 
till  dry.  Brush  off  sawdust  or  whiting  wath 
a  stiff  brush,  polish  lightly  with  soft  old  silk, 
and  store  when  fully  cool. 

Glass  with  silver  inlay  or  incrustation  must 
be  rubbed  after  washing  with  a  chamois  skin 
dipped  in  whiting.  Clean  decanters  and  claret 
jugs  by  putting  inside  either  a  few  buckshot 
and  shaking  them  about  in  a  cupful  of  tepid 
water  dashed  with  ammonia,  or  else  lightly 
folded  squares  of  stiff  brown  paper  with 
barely  enough  ammonia  water  to  moisten. 
These  remove  wine  incrustations.  If  the 
stains  are  obstinate,  fill  the  decanter  with 
tepid  water,  add  a  pinch  of  borax,  and  let  it 


60  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

stand.  Tiny  pills  of  whiting  wet  up  with 
alcohol  and  ammonia,  dried,  dropped  inside, 
and  shaken  about,  then  dissolved  out  with 
tepid  water,  leave  the  insides  clear  and  bright. 
So  do  crushed  egg  shells. 

Wash  gilt  and  Bohemian  glass — indeed,  any 
fancy  glass — with  a  very  soft  brush  and  tepid 
white  suds,  rinse  in  hotter  water,  drain  almost 
dry,  then  polish  with  absorbent  cotton  dipped 
lightly  in  powdered  whiting.  Iridescent  and 
bubble  glass  should  not  be  wiped.  Drain 
instead,  and  polish  when  ready  to  use  with  a 
wisp  of  cotton.  Cameo  glass,  or  any  with 
patterns  in  relief,  must  be  washed  with  a  stiff 
brush,  in  weak  suds,  rinsed  thoroughly,  and 
dried  in  gentle,  steady  heat  rather  than  wiped. 

Pressed  Glass :  Wash  and  rinse  in  water  the 
same  temperature,  drain,  but  not  too  long,  and 
wipe.  Beware  of  linty  towels.  Be  sure  to  run 
cloth  or  mop  inside  water  glasses,  otherwise 
they  become  dull  quickly.  Wash  pitchers  the 
same  way;  water  leaves  sediment — accumula- 
tions of  it  are  hard  to  remove.  Imitation 
cuttings  must  be  brushed — they  had  better 


CHINA,    GLASS,    FURNITURE  61 

be  eschewed.  Plain,  clear  surfaces  are  much 
handsomer.  Bowls  set  one  in  the  other  should 
have  paper  between.  Load  no  glass  thing 
heavily — the  rumble  or  jar  of  a  passing  wagon 
may  cause  breakage  if  you  do. 

Annealing  Glass:  Annealing  lessens  sen- 
sibly the  risk  of  breakage.  Pack  the  glass 
snugly  in  a  boiler,  fill  with  cold  water,  bring  to  a 
boil,  keep  simmering  three  to  four  hours,  then 
throw  over  a  thick  cloth  and  let  cool  very 
slowly.  Remove  only  when  fully  cold.  Es- 
pecially useful  for  thin  tumblers,  lamp  chim- 
neys, and  finger  bowls.  Put  a  board  or  a 
handful  of  clean  sticks  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boiler,  so  the  heat  shall  not  break  things  set 
lowest. 

Knives  and  Forks :  Have  a  pitcher  just  tall 
enough  to  hold  knives  up  to  the  handle. 
Do  not  quite  fill  it  with  very  hot  borax  suds, 
stand  knives  in  it,  and  leave  till  other  things 
are  out  of  the  way,  then  wash  blades,  wipe 
off  handles,  rinse  very  quickly  in  clear  tepid 
water,  wipe  dry,  polish  with  a  clean  chamois, 
and  hold  with  a  clean  cloth  in  putting  away. 


62  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

This  to  save  finger  marks  which  grow  often  to 
stains  or  tarnishes  upon  knives  seldom  used. 
All-silver  knives  can  be  treated  the  same  as 
other  silver  or  plated  things — still  pitcher- 
washing  is  as  good  for  them  as  any  other. 
Ivory  handles  or  pearl  ones,  or  those  of  stag- 
horn  or  composition,  all  are  injured  by  either 
soaking  or  very  hot  water.  Carving-sets  are 
frequently  defaced  hopelessly  by  rubbing  the 
handles  with  scouring-soap.  Instead  use  only 
lather,  washing  it  off  instantly.  If  suspicious 
of  grease  in  the  seam,  wrap  a  fine-pointed 
skewer  in  thin  cloth  and  run  all  around,  press- 
ing hard.  Wipe  knife  handles  very  dry,  else 
lay  them  for  ten  minutes  in  gentle  heat  to 
expel  possible  moisture  around  the  rivets. 

Restoring  Antique  Furniture:  Take  out 
grease  or  ink  spots  (see  section  Spots  and 
Stains),  then  go  over  with  a  turpentine  cloth 
sopping  wet,  rub  and  rub  and  rub.  Follow 
with  an  alcohol  cloth  and  more  rubbing,  then 
a  wash  in  strong  hot  suds,  followed  by  rubbing 
dry.  Now  take  stock  of  the  surface.  If  there 
are  dents,  raise  them  l)y  laying  on  very  wet 


CHINA,    GLASS,    FURNITURE  63 

blotting-paper  and  drying  it  with  a  blazing- 
hot  iron.  Repeat  if  necessary — steam  does 
the  work.  Sandpaper  away  scratches,  or  rub 
them  with  emery  and  a  little  oil,  or  scrape 
with  brok(>n  glass.  Go  over  again  with  tur- 
pentine to  remove  the  last  traces  of  varnish 
or  grime.  Then  sandpaper  to  a  new  surface, 
and  either  oil,  varnish,  or  give  a  wax  finish  (see 
section  Renovators) . 

Before  resurfacing  drive  up  loose  dowels, 
wedging  them  tight,  glue  afresh  rickety  joins, 
strengthening  them  further  with  slender  brads 
driven  in  from  the  under  side.  Glue  broken 
bits  in  place — if  they  are  missing,  make  the 
break  smooth  and  fit  into  it  a  new  piece. 
Cut  the  old  wood,  slanting  outward — thus  it 
is  possible  to  drive  very  short  brads  from 
underneath.  A  vise  helps  greatly  in  such  re- 
pairs— the  harder  held  the  pieces,  the  firmer 
and  less  visible  the  join.  After  it  is  dry, 
sandpaper;  if  the  new  wood  fails  to  match  the 
old,  stain  and  rub  down  before  waxing  or 
polishing.  Tiny  gaps  can  be  filled  with  puttj'^ 
mixed  with  dry  color  approaching  that  of  the 


64  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

wood.  This  will  take  either  oil  stain  or  a  wax 
finish. 

Tighten  rickety  drawers  so  they  slide  easily. 
Remedy  bad  feet  by  chiseling  out  shattered 
wood  and  putting  in  plugs  of  sound  wood  to 
hold  the  castors.  Glue  in  the  new  plugs,  also 
nail  them  fast.  Grease  the  points  of  nails  to 
save  splitting  the  old  wood.  Set  them  invis- 
ibly and  drive  gently,  but  see  that  they  go 
fully  home.  Remove  glass  or  brass  mounting 
while  resurfacing.  Clean  and  brighten  them 
(see  section  Brass)  before  replacing.  Tighten 
metal  linings  about  keyholes  with  putty,  put 
on  inside.  All  padding,  upholstery,  or  baize 
tops  must,  of  course,  be  taken  wholly  away. 
Save  them,  no  matter  how  ragged,  as  patterns 
for  new  stuff. 

Refinish  and  repair  frames  thus  stripped 
before  recovering.  Very  handsome  things  had 
better  be  put  in  professional  hands  unless  you 
have  practised  upon  plainer  ones.  It  is  a 
waste  of  strength  and  material  to  put  hand- 
some new  covers  over  musty  padding  or  to 
botch    and   pucker   hopelessly   through   inex- 


CHINA,    GLASS,    FURNITURE  65 

pcricnce.  In  tlie  courage  of  her  economies  a 
clever  woman  learns  quickly  the  knack  of 
upholstery.  Minute  directions  are  impossible 
— each  sofa  or  couch  or  easy  chair  is  so  much 
a  law  unto  itself.  In  a  general  way,  have  all 
necessary  things  handy — as  covering  muslin, 
webbing,  springs,  tacks,  twine,  upholsterer's 
needles,  moss  or  curled  hair,  brads  in  variety, 
sharp  shears,  and  stout  pliers  for  dragging 
through  reluctant  needles.  Press  out  old 
covers  and  use  as  patterns  for  the  new.  Model 
your  work  as  nearly  as  possible  on  what  you 
took  away.  Remember  always  before  fastening 
on  covers  to  mark  the  middle  of  them  and  set 
it  accurately  to  the  middle  of  the  frame,  tacking 
it  thence  both  ways.  Pad  arms  and  backs 
first,  then  basket-weave  webbing  across  the 
bottom,  drawing  it  verj^  taut,  put  on  springs, 
fasten  them  with  twine  to  the  webbing,  lay 
thin  cloth  over,  put  a  thick  layer  of  stuffing 
upon  it,  then  fit  the  muslin  cover  and  tack 
smoothly  to  the  frame.  Tuft  or  leave  plain 
according  to  style  and  period.  Cut  the  orna- 
mental covering  very  accurately,  sew  together, 


66  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

following  the  original,  fit  smooth,  and  cover 
the  edges  with  gimp.  With  figured  material, 
cut  so  the  boldest  figure  shall  appear  in  the 
middle  of  back  and  seat  or  equidistant  from 
ends  of  the  panels  of  long  sofas.  Practise  upon 
something  cheap — here  as  everywhere  else 
experience  is  the  best  teacher. 

Care  of  Antiques:  Old  mahogany,  rose- 
wood, ebony,  cherry,  or  walnut  differ  little  in 
their  requirements.  Each  and  several,  they 
film  over.  To  brighten,  wash  in  warm  (not 
hot)  naphtha  soapsuds,  wetting  only  a  little 
space  at  a  time,  wiping  it  quickly  with  a  cloth 
wrung  from  clear  hot  water,  and  as  quickly 
rubbing  dry.  Washing  complete,  rub  hard 
with  old  silk  or  flannel,  then  apply  either 
French  polish,  piano  polish,  or  wax  finish 
(see  section  Renovators).  Put  this  on  with  a 
soft  cloth  and  rub  in  until  the  surface  burns 
your  hand.  Washing  is  necessary  about  half 
yearly,  except  in  rooms  where  there  is  a  great 
deal  of  gas  or  candlelight  and  much  greasy 
vapor.  Dinner  tables  in  steady  use  ought  to 
be  washed  and  polished  monthly.     Rub  deep 


CHINA,    GLASS,    FURNITURE  67 

carvings  with  chamois  over  the  point  of  a  blunt 
skewer,  changing  its  place  every  little  while. 

Brass  Bedsteads:  Respect  their  lacquer. 
Keep  water  far  from  them,  likewise  alcohol, 
gasolene,  or  naphtha.  Smears  may  be  wiped 
ofif  with  cloths  slightly  damp,  followed  by  wip- 
ing with  one  dry  and  soft.  Wipe  dust  away 
with  softened  cheesecloth,  remove  finger  marks 
by  gentle  rubbing  with  crumpled  soft  silk  or 
old  flaimel.  Have  a  thick  soft  brush  to  take 
dust  from  carving  or  curled  rails.  Wipe  off 
grease  with  soft  flannel  and  polish  the  spot 
with  a  very  little  sifted  chalk  or  whiting  on  a 
clean  cloth.  Tarnish  is  a  proof  that  lacquer 
has  been  destroyed — the  remedy  is  relacquer- 
ing,  but  mitigate  imtil  that  is  possible  by 
oxalic  acid  or  vinegar  and  salt  (see  section 
Renovators) . 

Brass   trimmings   upon   enamel   bedsteads, 

cribs,  etc.,  need  the  same  care.     So  do  brass 

frames,  trays,  etc.     Elaborate  chasings  can  be 

brightened  without  injury  by  coating  thickly 

with  powdered  starch,  letting  it  stand  a  day, 

then  brushing  it  away. 
6 


68  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Mission  Furniture  and  Fumed  Oak: 
Dust  real  mission  pieces  with  a  soft  damp 
cloth  followed  by  a  dry  one  baVely  sprinkled 
with  turpentine.  Use  any  good  leather  dress- 
ing on  seats  and  backs.  Neat's-foot  oil  and 
beeswax,  equal  quantities,  melted  over  hot 
water  with  twice  their  bulk  of  turpentine,  is  a 
good  thing,  and  safe.  Apply  soft  but  not 
liquid,  put  on  barely  enough  to  rub  over  the 
leather,  and  rub  until  absorbed.  For  fumed 
and  Flemish  oak  use  a  soft,  thick  dust  brush, 
followed  by  a  thick  cloth  slightly  dampened. 
If  greasy  or  grimy,  wash  very  quickly  in  hot 
naphtha  soapsuds,  wipe  dry,  and  rub  until  hot. 
Once  a  year  rub  very  lightly  over  with  sweet 
oil,  turpentine,  and  alcohol,  equal  parts,  shaken 
well  together.  Varnished  pieces  can  have  thin 
white  varnish  instead  of  alcohol.  Put  on  with 
flannel  and  rub  till  hot. 

Gilt  Furniture:  Dust  well,  and  either  sift 
on  whiting,  let  stand  an  hour,  and  brush  off 
or  cover  a  little  at  a  time  with  whiting  and 
alcohol,  as  thick  as  cream,  let  stand  three 
minutes,  wipe  with  a  damp  cloth,  and  rub  dry 


CHINA,    GLASS,    FURNITURE  69 

with  old  silk  or  flannel.  Take  away  specks  of 
whiting  or  tarnish  with  a  swab  of  chalk  tied  in 
silk  and  wet  with  alcohol.  Cork  sawdust  tied 
tight  in  chamois  makes  a  good  burnisher  if  high 
polish  is  desired.  Garlands,  bow  knots,  and 
traceries  need  to  be  rubbed  out  with  a  blunt 
skewer  inside  a  clean  leather  and  polished  the 
same  way,  using  silk  or  flannel  in  place  of 
leather. 

Gilt  Frames:  Cover  with  the  cream  of 
whiting  and  alcohol  after  wiping  and  brushing 
away  all  possible  dust.  Remove  and  polish 
as  above  directed.  Repair  breaks  and  chip- 
pings  with  plaster  wet  with  white  of  egg,  and 
paint  with  the  finest  gold  paint,  then  burnish. 
Take  off  fly  specks  with  a  cloth  dipped  in 
alcohol,  and  rub  away  any  obstinate  dark 
specks  or  remnant  of  whiting  with  the  same 
cloth. 

Upholstered  Furniture:  Cover  the  stuff- 
ings with  a  bath  towel,  whip  lightly,  shaking 
the  towel  whenever  it  shows  dust,  then  brush 
evenly  with  a  soft  bristle  brush,  wipe  out  the 
tuftings  with  a  swab  of  cotton  tied  in  silk  on 


70  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

the  point  of  a  blunt  skewer.  Wipe  quickly  all 
over  with  a  flannel  wrung  dry  out  of  hot  water, 
following  with  a  cloth  wet  in  alcohol.  Change 
or  wash  the  cloths  as  they  grow  dirty,  espe- 
cially upon  delicate  colors.  Neither  cloths  nor 
swabs  must  be  wet  enough  to  leave  marks. 
Alcohol,  properly  used,  will  leave  no  trace  upon 
anything.  Wash  the  wood  in  white  soapsuds, 
about  blood-warm,  wipe  dry,  and  rub  with  a 
flannel  sprinkled  with  kerosene.  This  for 
ordinary  wood ;  very  fine  things,  and  especially 
inlaid  ones,  had  better  have  sweet  oil  and  tur- 
pentine on  the  polishing-cloth,  and  not  too 
much. 

Upholstery  can  be  dry-cleaned  with  starch 
and  whiting  sifted  together  and  applied  thickly 
all  over  it.  Let  stand  a  day,  in  sunshine  if 
possible,  then  brush  off,  going  over  and  over. 
If  there  are  grimy  spaces,  wet  them  with 
alcohol  before  putting  on  the  powder.  Brush 
hard,  and  if  flecks  remain  take  them  off  with  a 
cloth  wet  in  alcohol. 

Wicker  Furniture:  Scrub  raw  wicker  with 
a  stiff  brush    and  white  soapsuds,  rinse,  dry 


CHINA,    GLASS,    FURNITURE  71 

quickly,  then  brush  oven-  with  turpentine,  sweet 
oil,  and  alcohol,  equal  parts,  mixed,  then  one- 
fifth  their  bulk  of  thin  varnish  added.  Coat 
well.  When  dry,  rub  over  with  a  thick  soft 
cloth. 

Dust  gilt  or  enameled  wicker  very  clean, 
wash  quickly  in  weak  tepid  suds,  wape,  and  sift 
on  whiting  and  corn  starch,  let  stand  half  an 
hour,  and  brush  off.  Dry-cleaning  alone  suf- 
fices for  things  not  much  soiled.  Instead  of 
sifting,  the  starch  and  chalk  or  whiting  may  be 
tied  tight  in  coarse  net  and  used  as  a  swab. 
Take  out  spots  and  stains  (see  section  Spots 
and  Stains)  before  cleaning. 

Porch  Furniture :  Porch  furniture,  whether 
rattan,  rustic,  or  bamboo,  needs  only  to  be 
dusted,  well  and  quickly,  washed  in  tepid  suds, 
dried,  and  rubbed  liberally  all  over  with  crude 
kerosene  and  creosoted  turpentine  (see  section 
Renovators).  Dry  in  air,  but  away  from  sun; 
do  the  work,  however,  if  possible,  upon  a  dry, 
sunny  day. 

Enameled  Iron:  Resurface  things  as  they 
chip  (see  section  flaking  Whole) .    Wash  clean 


72  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

in  tepid  suds  after  dusting,  wipe  dry,  then  rul) 
over  lightly  with  sweet  oil  and  alcohol,  e{|ual 
parts,  with  a  teaspoonful  of  thin  varnish  adcknl 
to  the  pint  and  well  shaken. 

Sundry  Preventions:  Crumple  tissue 
paper  thickly  over  upholstered  furniture  before 
putting  on  covers — it  saves  from  wear,  dust, 
and  fading.  Newspapers  pasted  into  big 
sheets  and  spread  over  floor,  bed,  dresser,  and 
couch  in  spare  rooms  likewise  catch  dust  and 
stop  light.  They  can  be  gathered  up  in  a  few 
minutes;  take  care,  though,  to  lift  edges  first 
and  shake  dust  inward,  then  fold.  Where  sun- 
shine falls  upon  matting  a  double  thickness  of 
paper  saves  fading.  Narrow  lengths  either  to 
hang  or  pin  about  draperies  will  keep  the 
draperies  fresh.  Paper  is  as  nearly  impervious 
to  dust  as  almost  anything  known.  Paper  bags 
tied  over  gas  globes,  brass  door  knobs,  and 
candlesticks  prevent  both  dust  and  tarnish. 
Also  there  is  no  better  summer  ambush  for 
articles  of  "bigotry  and  virtue"  than  a  thick 
swathing  of  tissue  paper  inside  a  paper  bag. 
JsTewspaper  has  further  the  jnerit  of  dispourag- 


CHINA,    GLASS,    FURNITURE  73 

ing  moths — they  hate  printers'  ink  the  same  as 
other  plunderers.  Shut  down  windows  ujion 
newspaper,  kitting  it  fall  well  over  the  inner 
sill,  and  there  will  be  no  fading  of  paint  there 
nor  cakings  of  dust. 

Glue  rounds  of  felt  to  the  feet  of  all  things  not 
furnished  wuth  castors  if  j^ou  would  save 
polished  floors  from  marking.  A  brad  or  two, 
driven  upward,  the  heads  well  sunk,  will  add 
stability.  Old  soft  hats  will  furnish  the 
rounds.  Instead,  you  may  use  a  contrivance 
now  in  market,  which  is  practically  the  same 
thing,  also  cheap  and  convenient. 


V 

MAKING   WHOLE 

Rickety  Furniture:  Scrape  or  file  away 
old  glue  from  loosened  joins,  cover  with  fresh 
glue  very  hot  (see  section  Renovators) .  Tie  fast 
together  or  put  in  a  vise,  protecting  the  jaws  of 
it  with  thick  paper,  and  let  stand  two  days. 
Reinforce  then  underneath  with  iron — a  light 
angle  iron  for  corners,  strap  iron  with  holes 
punched  along  each  edge  for  straight  breaks. 
Small  light  metal  hinges  often  answer  admir- 
ably. Screw  everything  firmly  in  place,  then 
scrape  away  oozing  of  glue  outside,  sandpaper, 
and  refinish. 

A  jagged  break  needs  glue  extra  thick  and 
hot.  Brush  it  well  into  broken  fibers,  both 
ends,  press  them  together,  fasten  firmly,  let 
harden,  scrape  away  oozings,  and  screw  on 
strap  iron  with  holes  an  inch  apart  in  the 


MAKING    WHOLE  75 

edges.  Put  it  inside  or  underneath,  and  if  it 
shows,  as  on  chair  or  table  logs,  paint  to  match 
the  wood,  and  varnish  when  dry. 

Fine  brads,  driven  in  alternately,  slantwise, 
on  the  under  side,  will  hold  cracks  fast,  but  not 
so  fast  as  strap  iron.  Hinges  set  in  an  angle 
need  a  little  wood  gouged  away  so  they  may 
lie  flat  against  the  wood.  Fill  gaps  in  a  splin- 
tered surface  with  putty  colored  to  match. 

Glass  and  China :  No  cement  ever  made  at 
home  or  commercially  will  bear  long  soaking  in 
hot  water  or  suds.  Hard  usage  is  also  impos- 
sible. Notwithstanding,  mending  is  well  worth 
while,  wherefore  save  the  pieces,  and  especially 
save  tiny  splinters.  Otherwise  your  mending 
will  be  vain.  Twice  a  year  have  a  mending- 
day,  saving  up  breakage  against  it.  Work  at 
a  steady  table  set  in  good  light  but  not  glaring. 
Have  a  white  table  cover,  a  bowl  of  hot  water, 
a  cup  of  alcohol,  plenty  of  clean  rags,  several 
camel's-hair  brushes  of  varying  size,  a  tumbler 
of  water  to  hold  them  when  not  in  use,  plenty 
of  twine,  tying-tape,  new  rubber  bands  in  vari- 
ety, a  pair  of  Swinging  weights,  and  on  the 


76  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

floor,  out  of  the  way,  a  box  half  full  of  damp 
earth  or  sand.  You  need  in  addition  squares  of 
deal  or  cardboard  for  setting  out  of  the  way 
mended  things.  Also  a  pound  of  putty  mixed 
stiff  and,  if  mending  ornaments,  gold  paint  and 
colors  in  powder. 

With  a  simple  clean  fracture,  as  across  a 
platter,  wash  edges  very  clean,  using  a  brush 
and  suds,  rinse  in  hot  water,  then  coat  thickly 
with  pure  white  lead  rubbed  thicker  than 
cream  in  raw  linseed  oil.  Set  the  larger 
fragment,  break  up,  perpendicularly  in  the 
l)ox  of  sand.  It  must  stand  plumb.  Fit  the 
other  piece  to  it,  and  hang  evenly  across  it 
the  swinging  weights,  which  are  but  a  strip  of 
strong  cloth  doubled  up  into  pockets  at  each 
end  and  filled  with  buckshot  or  pebbles,  which 
must  balance  accurately.  Their  use  is  to  make 
the  join  firm  and  fine — in  fact,  barely  visible. 
Leave  standing  several  days,  then  file  or  sand- 
paper off  surplus  lead.  Lead-mending  is  the 
most  durable  of  all. 

Mend  thin  china  with  white  of  egg  and  quick- 
lime.    Beat  the   egg  stiff,   coat  clean  edges 


MAKING   \\nOLE  77 

thickly  with  it,  dust  witli  powdered  unslaked 
lime,  press  hard  together  at  once,  and  fasten 
firmly.  The  lime  sets  as  in  mortar.  Sand- 
paper the  break  after  a  week.  This  is  a  good 
cement  for  opaque  glass  as  well. 

Hollow  things,  as  cups,  bowls,  etc.,  should  be 
set  over  crumpled  paper  upon  a  round  of  cloth, 
with  a  drawstring  in  the  edge  just  big  enough  to 
cover  them  halfway.  Draw  up  the  string  very 
carefully  after  mending,  and  fasten.  The  secret 
of  good  mending  is  to  have  things  held  fast. 

Rubber  bands  help  mightily.  String  half 
a  dozen  strong  ones  on  a  tape  and  tie  about 
the  neck  or  base  of  anything  so  rounding  strings 
slip.  Join  the  broken  part,  then  put  another 
tape  through  the  bands,  and  lift  it  steadily 
until  you  can  fasten  it  about  the  neck  or  over 
the  top.  The  bands  must  be  the  same  size, 
and  draw  equally.  After  tying  the  tapes  set 
a  weight  on  top  of  the  broken  thing.  Loop 
rubber  bands  around  broken-off  handles,  set 
them  in  place,  then  string  a  tape  through  the 
bands,  draw  them  together,  and  pass  the  tape 
twice  around  the  body  of  the  vessel. 


78  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Build  up  shattered  things  bit  by  bit  about 
cores  of  putty  covered  with  wax  paper.  This 
if  shape  admits  taking  out  the  putty.  Narrow- 
mouthed  things  had  better  have  cores  of  ab- 
sorbent cotton  wound  with  wax  paper.  It  can 
be  picked  out  bit  by  bit,  using  a  hook.  Putty 
likewise  can  be  dug  or  rasped  out,  but  not  so 
easily.  Things  very  badly  broken  need  to  be 
mended  in  sections,  joining  scraps  and  fitting 
in  splinters.  Fill  cavities  outside  and  in  with 
either  soft  putty  or  plaster  mixed  with  white 
of  egg.  A  backing  of  putty  inside  seams  makes 
them  secure.  Keep  clean  fingers  while  mend- 
ing. Also  keep  broken  bits  clean.  If  a  mend 
fails,  soak  off  cement  and  begin  over.  White 
lead  must  be  taken  off  with  turpentine.  But 
failure  with  it  is  rare. 

If  a  handle-break  goes  through  in  a  vase  or 
ewer  fit  inside  the  hole  a  lump  of  putty,  then 
cement  edges,  and  press  together,  holding  some- 
thing against  the  putty  and  spreading  it  all 
over  the  break.  Hard,  it  makes  an  indestruc- 
tible join.  Water  will  not  affect  it;  still,  such 
a  vessel  had  better  be  kept  for  show. 


MAKING    WHOLE  79 

Glass :  Mend  glass  as  directed  for  china,  but 
use  white  cement,  gum  arable,  or  sugar  syrup 
(see  section  Renovators).  Press  breaks  hard 
together  and  fasten  firmly.  If  it  is  possible  to 
expel  every  bit  of  air,  the  break  will  be  scarcely 
visible.  For  colored  glass  rub  dry  color  smooth 
in  a  little  white  cement  and  apply  with  a  very 
fine  brush.  Repair  breaks  in  gilt  glass,  after 
mending,  with  gold  paint.  Do  the  same  for 
gilt  china,  and  touch  up  with  matching  colors 
any  flaws  in  the  pattern. 

Mending  Bric-a-brac:  Mend  broken  ivory 
with  a  few  drops  of  fish  glue  such  as  shoe- 
makers use.  Press  very  hard  together,  wipe 
off  oozings  clean,  fasten,  wrap  in  cotton,  then  in 
paper,  put  in  a  vise  and  screw  firmly  but  not 
too  hard.  Metal  ornaments  can  be  either  sol- 
dered or  repaired  with  sealing-wax  and  resin, 
melted  together  over  boiling  water  and  applied 
very  hot.  Join  broken  bisque  and  clay  figures 
with  white  of  egg  and  powdered  unslaked  lime 
unless  it  is  possible  to  get  from  a  potter  a  little 
regular  luting.  Mend  torn  or  loosened  leather 
with  fish  glue,  and  put  under  heavy  weight. 


80  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Mending  Books:  Take  out  of  the  covers, 
press  square  and  solid,  then  paste  over  the 
back  a  strip  of  stout  tliin  mushn,  letting  the 
edges  project  unpasted  an  inch  either  side. 
Dry  under  pressure,  so  the  muslin  will  be  fully 
rounded.  Turn  back  the  loose  muslin  accu- 
rately along  the  edge,  paste  it  plentifully  on  the 
outer  sides,  then  lay  on  the  cover,  press  firmly 
in  place,  and  dry  under  weight.  When  dry, 
paste  in  new  fly  leaves  double  fold.  Paste  the 
outer  one  to  the  cover,  the  inner  one  only 
lightly  to  the  book.  Removing  old  fly  leaves 
spotted  or  defaced  makes  a  better  job  of  it. 

Mending  Lamps  and  Candlesticks: 
Fasten  loose  lamp  collars  with  white  of  egg  and 
plaster;  make  as  thick  as  putty  and  use 
quickly.  Solder  broken  metal  parts.  Dust 
with  powdered  resin,  lay  on  the  stick  of 
solder,  and  apply  the  hot  iron.  Tinkering  thus 
needs  only  a  little  knack.  It  enables  you  to 
stop  leaks  in  zinc  or  tin — as  pipes,  shields,  and 
so  on.  Cooking-vessels  are  quite  another 
story. 

Mending  Rubber:   This  is  a  parlous  busi- 


MAIvING   WHOLE  81 

ness  at  best,  still  can  be  done.  Get  the  best 
rubber  cement,  have  the  break  very  clean, 
apply,  and  let  harden  for  a  day  at  least. 
Breaks  in  hose,  tubes,  and  so  on  had  better 
be  cloth-covered — after  mending,  of  course. 
Indeed,  the  life  of  such  things  is  trebled  by 
covering  them  neatly  before  they  break.  Cut 
strips  of  cloth  wide  enough  to  go  round,  allow 
half  an  inch  for  turned  edges,  fold  down,  and 
whip  together  around  the  hose  or  tube.  A  })ig 
pipe  can  have  a  cover  of  canvas  stitched  up. 
Covering  protects  the  surface  and  takes  up  a 
large  part  of  the  water  strain.  Fill  breaks  in 
rubber  footgear  ^\^th  rubber  cement,  let 
harden,  then  put  inside  over  the  break  a  piece 
of  strong,  thin  cloth,  shaped  to  fit  and  coated 
upon  one  side  with  fish  glue.  The  glue  goes 
next  the  rubber;  after  it  has  hardened  it  takes 
the  strain. 

Darning:  Darning  is  an  art,  so  much  so  one 
may  well  say  there  are  torn  things  not  worth  a 
darn.  If  they  are  woolen  things,  mend  with 
rubber  tissue,  smoothing  the  tear  with  a  warm 
iron,  then  laying  on  the  tissue  and  fixing  it 


82  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

with  a  hotter  one.  Press  again  on  the  right 
side,  and  chp  close  any  loose  fibers. 

Linen,  Silk,  and  Stuff:  Lay  under  the 
break  stiff  paper  spread  with  net  matching  in 
color,  press  with  a  warm  iron,  baste  before 
lifting  lightly,  take  up  and  baste  again  about 
the  edges.  Match  thread  to  fabric;  use  a 
fine  needle,  go  back  and  forth  with  very  short 
running  stitches,  catching  the  net  below,  but 
taking  only  as  deep  hold  in  the  outside  as  will 
make  a  firm  mend.  Beware  puckers.  When 
finished,  cut  away  surplus  net  and  press  on  the 
wrong  side,  then  under  a  cloth  on  the  right. 
If  a  tiny  hole  is  to  be  filled  in,  tack  it  smooth 
over  stiff  paper,  then  with  ravelings  of  the 
stuff  or  thread  exactly  matching  go  over  the 
warp  way,  setting  thread  for  thread,  barely 
catching  at  the  ends,  then  weave  in  cross 
threads,  same  as  the  original  fabric,  and  press. 
Or  the  hole  can  be  cut  to  a  tiny  square  after 
basting  on  paper  and  a  matched  square  inserted 
and  darned  in  all  round.  This  had  better  have 
net  under  it  so  the  join  may  not  pull  apart. 

Machine-darn  table  linen  as  soon  as  it  shows 


mak:ing  whole  83 

threadbare  spots,  putting  them  in  an  em- 
broidery hoop  and  stitching  back  and  forth  the 
way  of  the  missing  threads.  White  net  under- 
neath strengthens,  but  with  napkins  and  tea 
cloths  it  is  better  left  off.  A  cloth  broken  along 
the  middle  fold  can  be  darned  thus  over  net. 
But  it  is  easier  and  better  to  split  it  evenly,  hem 
the  split  edges,  and  trim  them  with  lace,  then 
join  the  selvages  with  a  row  of  coarse  insertion, 
herringboned  in  with  coarse  linen  thread. 

Darning  Stockings:  Children's  stockings 
last  much  longer  for  ripping  to  the  calf  when 
new  and  machine-darning  inside  them,  over 
the  knees,  sound  old  tops.  Sew  up  loosely. 
Darn  strong  net  or  thin  stockinet  loosely  in- 
side heels  and  toes;  when  the  stockings  come 
in  holes,  rip  out  this  first  application,  cover  your 
darning-egg  with  fresh  net,  set  the  hole  over 
it,  taking  care  not  to  stretch  it,  whip  down  all 
round  loosely,  then  darn  as  usual,  running 
threads  through  the  net  and  cutting  away 
surplusage  when  finished. 

Silk  stockings  should  always  be  darned  on 

net,  matching  colors  of  net  and  darning-floss. 

7 


84  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

Tack  lace  insets  or  embroidery  smooth  upon 
white  stiff  paper  and  fill  in  breaks  with  lace 
stitches  or  new  embroidery.  Mend  a  running 
break — colloquially^  a  ladder— by  catching  the 
errant  stitch,  sewing  it  fast,  then  filling  the 
raveled  space  with  very  fine  herringbone.  Fill 
holes  in  the  instep,  or  heel,  above  slipper 
height,  with  loose  buttonhole  stitches  in 
matching  silk,  going  across  and  back,  catching 
each  stitch  after  the  first  row  in  the  top  of  the 
one  below  it.  Make  neither  tight  nor  slack. 
Infinite  patience  and  a  very  fine  crochet  hook 
enable  one  to  fill  such  breaks  with  real  stocking- 
weaving.  Ravel  the  break  to  a  line,  take  up 
the  stitches  on  a  very  fine  thread,  then  fasten 
on  silk  and  draw  up  in  loops,  keeping  them  on 
the  needle.  Fasten  to  the  side  and  work  back, 
drawing  a  new  stitch  through  each  one  already 
on  the  needle.  Repeat  till  the  hole  is  full,  then 
draw  stitches  through  those  in  the  upper  edge, 
which  has  been  likewise  raveled  straight. 
Only  very  costly  stockings  are  worth  such 
pains. 
.  Coarse  Mending:  Boys  and  men  wear  holes 


MAKING   -WHOLE  85 

at  knees,  elbows,  and  on  seats.  Rip  seams, 
cut  the  holes  square,  match  new  squares,  and 
stitch,  press,  and  sew  up.  Seat  holes  need  not 
l)e  cut  clear  across — only  as  far  as  the  break. 
Cut  corners  diagonally  the  depth  of  a  seam,  but 
not  too  deep.  Lacking  cloth  for  such  repairs, 
take  note  when  clothes  show  threadbare  in 
such  spots,  lay  other  cloth  under,  and  machine- 
darn  thickly  with  matching  thread,  fine  rather 
than  coarse.  Such  prevention  often  outlasts 
the  patch  cure  besides  being  more  present- 
able. 

Mending  Bed  Clothes:  Fine  threadbare 
blankets  are  worth  darning.  Wash  well  and 
darn  with  soft  wool,  using  a  large-eyed  needle. 
Avoid  puckering.  Darn  warp  way  first,  then 
go  across.  Cut  ragged  edges  smooth,  and  over- 
cast loosely  with  colored  wool  rather  than  bind. 
Darn  tears  on  net,  using  silk  or  flax,  rather  fine. 
Beware  making  mends  hard  and  lump3^ 
Comforts  should  be  untacked,  the  stuffing, 
whether  cotton,  wool,  or  down,  aired  and 
washed  at  need,  the  outsides  made  into  rags, 
and   new   covers   ))rovided   for   the    padding. 


86  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Cheesecloth  unbleached  lasts  and  launders 
well.  Make  pocket  covers  of  it,  half  a  yard 
deep,  for  the  tops  of  comforts  breaking  there 
and  nowhere  else. 

Old  muslin  rarely  pays  for  mending  more 
elaborate  than  running  together  slits.  Wide 
sheets  can  have  the  thin  centers  torn  out,  the 
selvages  joined,  and  raw  edges  hemmed,  thus 
turning  them  into  single-bed  size.  Handsome 
linen  sheets,  when  they  break  along  the  hem- 
stitching, should  be  cut  there,  hemmed  neatly 
each  side,  and  joined  with  strong  narrow  linen 
insertion,  or  beading,  or  linen  braid  crocheted 
in  a  straight  line  down  either  side.  Em- 
broidered pillow  and  bolster  cases,  when  the 
body  wears,  should  have  the  embroidery  cut 
off  and  joined  thus  with  insertion  or  crochet 
work  to  new  bodies — it  will  last  as  long. 
Handsome  monograms  and  motifs  should  be 
transferred  from  old  linen  to  new.  Cut  out, 
neatly  baste  on  new  stuff,  and  sew  down  all 
round  with  fine  needle,  thread,  and  stitches. 
If  there  are  holes  in  the  pattern,  pierce  them 
and  sew  over  well,  using  slightly  coarser  thread. 


MAKING    WHOLE  87 

Press  bpforo  sewing,  and  be  careful  not  to 
draw  the  work. 

MendingLace:  Transfer  figures  from  heavy 
laces,  such  as  hand-run  Spanish,  to  new  net 
grounds,  first  cleaning  them  carefully,  and 
dipping,  if  rusty,  in  stale  beer  or  water  in 
which  a  raw  Irish  potato  has  been  grated. 
Drain  without  squeezing,  press  while  damp, 
then  cut  out  and  arrange  upon  the  new  ground, 
which  has  been  stretched  smooth  over  paper. 

Point  lace,  being  needle-made,  can  be  needle- 
mended  as  good  as  new.  Tack  smooth  upon 
waxed  hnen  or  stiff  paper,  study  the  breaks,  and 
fill  them  with  the  same  stitch,  using  the  same 
thread.  If  the  ground  is  badly  broken,  expedite 
work  by  laying  under  a  bit  of  fine  net,  matching 
the  mesh,  and  sewing  the  figures  to  it.  Lace 
stitches  can  be  learned  from  any  book  on 
needlework,  and  are  none  of  them  difficult. 
Irish  crochet  wears  out  all  over  commonly — 
tears  or  breaks,  though,  can  be  filled  with  a 
crochet  hook,  matching  stitch  and  thread. 

Mend  lace  curtains  by  laying  new  net  under 
breaks  and  either  sewing  figures  to  it  or,  in  case 


88  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

of  tender  old  fabrics,  wetting  with  starch  and 
pressing  with  a  hot  iron.  The  starch  mend 
will  last  as  long  as  the  curtain.  Tiny  tears 
can  be  thus  starch-mended  to  advantage  at 
any  stage. 

Furniture:  Threadbare  coverings,  as  dam- 
ask, brocatelle,  and  tapestry,  require  deft 
darning  with  a  fine  needle — several  fine  needles, 
indeed,  and  matched  silks.  Follow  the  pat- 
tern as  nearly  as  possible  in  putting  in  stitches. 
Put  worn  hangings  into  an  embroidery  frame 
and  work  boldly  in  coarse  silks  or  wool,  keeping 
to  the  color  scheme  and  using  as  far  as  possible 
the  woven  pattern,  but  making  the  new  figures 
hide  blemishes.  Remove  linings  before  em- 
broidering, press  on  the  wrong  side,  and,  if  too 
limp,  stiffen  slightly  with  gum  water  (see  sec- 
tion Renovators). 

Fur  Sewing  and  Mending:  Fur  sewang 
takes  courage  as  much  as  skill.  All  fur  is 
mended  before  making  up.  Art  lies  in  cutting 
patches  accurately  and  setting  them  in  so  the 
fur  lies  with  that  around  it.  To  fill  in  a  moth- 
eaten  spot  rip  out  linings  and  enough  seams 


MAKING    WHOLE  89 

to  let  the  fur  lie  flat,  then  chalk-mark  the 
smallest  space  that  will  remove  the  moth 
patch.  Cut  through  along  the  mark  with  a 
sharp-pointed  knife,  then  lay  the  hole  upon 
the  patch  fur  and  shift  until  it  matches  in  color 
and  growth.  Mark  all  round,  take  off  the 
garment,  cut  the  patch  with  your  sharp  knife 
just  outside  the  marking.  Fit  into  the  hole, 
tack  lightly  in  four  places,  turn,  sew  the  cut 
edges  tog(>ther,  taking  stitches  close  and  barely 
deep  enough  to  hold.  Turn  every  little  while, 
smooth  seam,  and  look  for  puckers;  if  any 
rip,  sew  over.  Sewing  done,  press  seam  hard 
with  the  thimble  on  something  flat,  then  turn 
and  press  on  right  side  with  the  end  of  the 
thumb.  Manipulate  until  the  skin  edges  lie 
one  against  the  other.  Fur  garments  can  be 
remodeled  at  home  with  just  such  sewing. 
Shape,  piece,  or  mend,  sew  together,  and  reline. 
Very  tiny  bits  can  be  used  many  ways,  where- 
fore save  them  religiously.  Tails  that  have 
been  partly  moth-eaten  or  lost  hair  should 
have  the  bare  lengths  cut  out,  the  remnants 
neatly  joined.     Long  furs,   such   as  marten, 


90  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

mink,  skunk,  and  fox,  are  not  easier  than  seal, 
beaver,  and  so  on,  but  less  apt  to  show  bungling 
work.  Astrakan  is  so  soft  and  crinkly  it  sews 
almost  like  cloth. 

Carpets,  Matting,  and  Rugs:  Make  car- 
pets as  clean  as  possible  before  mending. 
Darn  with  wool  and  upholsterer's  needles  as 
they  lie  on  the  floor,  matching  thread  to  pattern, 
unless  the  pattern  is  worn  away.  Cut  bad 
spots  square,  or  to  straight  edges,  snip  corners, 
turn  under  edges,  fit  in  a  square,  turn  down  its 
edges,  trimming  at  corners  to  avoid  lumps, 
safety-pin  at  each  corner,  turn  over  and  whip 
turned  edges  fast,  then  cover  with  damp  cloth 
and  press.  Shift  stair  carpets  often  enough  to 
get  equal  wear  all  over.  Have  an  extra  step 
length  and  turn  it  under  at  top  or  bottom  to 
make  shifting  easy. 

Dyeing  helps  a  faded  carpet  mightily.  Put 
it  down  clean  with  thick  paper  under,  wipe  over 
with  clarified  ox  gall  in  tepid  water,  then  with 
clear  water,  wringing  the  cloth  dry,  then  paint 
with  a  thick  soft  brush  dipped  lightly  in  hot 
dye.     Use  the  color  predominant  in  the  room, 


MAKING   WHOLE  91 

no  matter  about  the  pattern.  Rub  the  dye  in 
well,  but  do  not  slop  nor  sop  it.  Treat  fine 
matting,  especially  in  rug  form,  the  same  way. 
Figures  will  show  through,  but  not  unpleas- 
antly. Even  a  grass  rug  takes  color  readily. 
Hang  smooth  and  wet  thoroughly,  let  stand 
to  set,  then  wash  with  weak  suds.  Dye  on 
both  sides.  Carpets  and  mattings  must  be 
dyed  on  one  side  only  and  washed  lightly, 
after  the  color  sets,  with  suds,  then  wiped  over 
with  either  vinegar  and  water  or  weak  alum 
water. 

Rug-mending  needs  a  volume;  here  it  gets 
only  a  paragraph.  For  breaks,  tears,  moth- 
eaten  or  worn  spots  lay  smooth  upon  some- 
thing soft  and  sleazy — wool  crash  is  excellent, 
so  is  basket- woven  serge.  Flannel  will  answer; 
at  a  pinch  so  will  burlap.  Fasten  so  thread 
runs  true  with  those  of  the  rug.  If  the  original 
fabric  shows  appreciably,  darn  it  downa  on  the 
patch,  matching  the  darning-wool  to  the  colors. 
If  there  is  a  ya^vning  hole,  put  the  wool  double 
in  a  very  big  needle,  stick  through  from  the  top, 
bring   up   again   in   almost   the   same   place. 


92  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Tie  to  the  end  above,  stick  back,  stick  up 
again,  repeat,  varying  thread,  until  the  whole 
space  is  covered  with  woolly  loops.  Cut  them 
through,  then  trim  smooth  with  very  sharp 
shears,  comb  with  a  coarse  comb,  and  trim 
again.  Moth-eaten  moquette  carpet  can  be 
treated  the  same  way,  using  as  many  needles  as 
there  are  colors  in  the  pattern. 

Care  of  Gloves:  Pull  off  gloves  over  the 
hand,  not  by  tugging  at  finger  tips;  this  is 
the  first  commandment.  The  second  is,  Never 
crumple  them.  Let  lie  open  from  the  hand 
until  dry,  then  smooth,  wrap  in  tissue  paper, 
and  put  away.  Sew  fastenings  the  minute 
they  show  loose.  Mend  at  the  first  ripped 
stitch.  Glove  powder  shaken  inside  before 
putting  away  after  wearing  keeps  them  fresher. 
Either  patch  holes  in  thumb  and  fingers  with 
very  thin  kid,  else  cut  off  the  worn  sections 
almost  to  the  palm,  shape  new  sections  from 
old  kid,  sew  on,  then  sew  in.  Color  gray  spots 
on  the  fingers  of  black  kid  gloves  with  a  few 
drops  of  ink  rubbed  well  through  other  drops 
of  sweet  oil.     In  cleaning  with  gasolene  put  on 


MAKING    WHOLE  93 

gloves,  fasten  smooth,  and  begin  work  at  the 
top  of  the  wrist — there  will  be  circles  other- 
wise, especially  in  long  gloves.  Wash  as 
though  washing  hands,  using  a  very  soft  cloth 
or  wisp  of  cotton.  Change  gasolene  as  soon 
as  dirty.  Rub  afterward  well  with  starch  and 
whiting,  powdered. 

Cleaning  Furs:  Brush  well,  comb  twice — 
against  grain  antl  with  it— wipe  over  with  soft 
flannel,  then  with  a  wisp  of  cotton  tied  in  old 
silk  and  dipped  lightly  in  gasolene  or  benzine 
or  ether.  Ether  is  best  for  white  furs.  Work 
quickly,  changing  the  cloth  if  it  grows  dirty. 
Comb  up  again,  and  sift  over  hot  cornmeal  or 
sifted  sawdust,  rub  it  well  through  the  fur,  up, 
down,  crosswise,  shake  out,  and  hang  to  air. 
White  furs  after  shaking  out  should  be  covered 
thick  with  starch  and  whiting  in  fine  powder, 
mixed  with  enough  powder  blue  to  clear.  Let 
lie  several  days,  then  shake  out,  brush  hard, 
and  wipe  over  very  quickly  with  a  soft  damp 
cloth.  Dry-clean  light  and  fancy  linings  by 
gentle,  steady  rubbing  with  a  swab  of  starch 
and  whiting  tied  in  soft  silk  or  cheesecloth. 


94  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Put  a  few  drops  of  ether  or  gasolene  on  soiled 
spots,  rub  hard  with  the  swab,  then  with  a 
clean  cloth,  dipped  in  powdered  chalk. 

Furs  worn  in  dusty  wind  or  a  foul  atmos- 
phere need  to  be  well  combed,  brushed  against 
the  grain,  and  aired  quickly.  Dry  wet  furs  in 
air,  but  away  from  heat.  Stretch  and  knead 
them  several  times  while  drying  to  keep  the 
skin  pliable.  Shake  hard  at  first,  hang  smooth, 
and  let  drain.  Unless  very  wet,  only  damp- 
ness will  reach  the  skin  if  they  are  so  treated. 
Snow  shaken  off  before  melting  is  a  help  rather 
than  a  hurt.  Indeed,  a  good  way  to  clean  fur 
rugs  is  to  drag  them,  hair  down,  over  dry  snow. 
Clean  on  the  floor  by  sprinkling  thickly  with 
hot  meal  or  sawdust,  rubbing  in  well  and  brush- 
ing out,  then  combing. 


VI 
MAKING  AND   MAKING  OVER 

Wherewithal  to  make  of  is  the  first  requisite. 
Here  follow  some  simple  tests  easily  applicable 
and  well  worth  while.  Use  upon  samples,  and 
buy  accordingly.  Things  over-cheap,  it  may 
be  said  in  passing,  carry  their  condemnation 
in  their  price.  Buying  them  is  extravagance, 
since  they  cost  as  much  in  time,  trouble,  and 
often  in  money  for  making  up  as  sound  stuffs 
and  make  no  adequate  return  in  wear. 

Silk:  Test  silk  three  ways  —  by  tearing, 
scraping  with  the  thumb  nail,  and  burning. 
Try  to  tear  a  raw  edge  across  the  filling.  If 
it  is  easily  done  the  filling  is  either  artificial 
or  so  loaded  it  will  give  no  wear.  Weak  warp 
is  even  worse — with  warp  and  filling  both 
easily  rent,  the  stuff  is  wholly  bad.  Pull  out 
a  few  threads  both  ways  and  test  their  strength 


96  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

separately.  Easy  breaking  means  that  they 
are  loaded  with  earthy  or  metal  salts  to  give 
weight  and  firmness  without  wear.  Scrape 
the  surface  diagonally  with  the  thumb  nail. 
If  threads  slip  under  the  scraping,  let  that 
particular  silk  alone.  Rub  well  between  the 
fingers — pure  silk  feels  smooth  and  soft;  that 
which  is  loaded,  crisp,  even  harsh.  Some  silks 
have  the  face  pure,  the  back  loaded — where- 
fore test  both  sides.  End  by  burning  a  bit. 
Real  silk  does  not  burn  readily,  and  leaves  a 
black  ash.  Weighted  or  loaded  silk  flashes 
up,  burns  swiftly,  and  leaves  behind  a  dull-red 
ash. 

Woolens:  Test  by  raveling  out  and  burning. 
Untwist  a  raveled  thread— fibers  of  even, 
moderate  length  show  pure  wool.  If  there  are 
a  few  fibers  with  clots  all  along  them  the  cloth 
is  most  shoddy — that  is  to  say,  old  wool 
ground  up  and  mixed  before  spinning  with  a 
little  new.  After-treatment  makes  it  look  well, 
but  there  is  mighty  little  wear.  Snap  a  ravel- 
ing bptw(!en  tho  hands — the  harder  the  break- 
ing the  better  the  goods.     Soak  a  few  threads 


MAKING    AND    MAKING   OVER  97 

in  a  little  alcohol.  This  to  test  the  color.  A 
tinge  in  the  alcohol  is  to  be  expected,  but  if  it 
becomes  deep-colored,  and  especially  if  it  be- 
comes muddy,  the  dyeing  is  bad.  Cotton  mix- 
ture before  spinning  betrays  itself  in  burning. 
Light  a  few  threads  or  a  snippet — the  smell  will 
tell  the  truth. 

Linen:  Test  linen  in  much  the  same  fashion: 
ravel,  untwist  a  thread,  and  draw  gently 
till  resolved  into  original  fibers.  Cotton  will 
show  soft,  even  a  little  fuzzy,  in  spite  of  mer- 
cerizing. Linen  is  woven  from  flax  fibers, 
which  are  always  straight  and  thready,  no  mat- 
ter how  fine.  Burning  gives  out  the  smell  of 
cotton  where  there  is  an  appreciable  mixture. 
Test  for 'fading  by  wetting  in  white  soapsuds 
and  drying  in  sunshine  or  in  front  of  a  fire. 

Cottons:  Prints,  muslin,  lawns,  sheeting,  and 
so  on,  should  be  torn  across  and  lengthwise  to 
test  strength,  nail-scraped,  and  rubbed  betwixt 
the  fingers  to  discover  if  they  are  dressed  too 
much,  and  dried  in  sunshine  for  fading.  Use 
will  soften  the  fastest  colors.  In  buying  for 
children  get  extra  stuff  and  send  it  to  wash  each 


98  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

time  with  the  frocks,  so  when  needed  for  re- 
making there  shall  be  no  glaring  contrast. 

Forethought:  Begin  before  the  beginning  if 
you  would  sew  easily.  Set  a  machine,  well 
cleaned  and  oiled,  where  the  light  will  fall  over 
the  operator's  shoulder.  For  dressmaking, 
cover  the  floor  with  a  sheet  of  unbleached 
muslin  tacked  down  smooth.  Have  a  form  for 
fitting,  a  tall  mirror,  a  table,  with  drop  leaves 
if  possible,  and  two  bentwood  chairs,  with  a  low 
rocker  for  basting  and  pressing  in.  At  the 
right  hand  of  it  hang  on  the  wall  a  thin  board 
with  wire  nails  driven  from  the  back  in  treble 
row.  Upon  one  row  stick  basting-spools,  upon 
others  spools  of  silk,  cotton,  and  twist.  Upon 
a  shorter  upper  row  put  cheap  thimbles.  Have 
screw  hooks  at  bottom  for  hanging  shears,  small 
scissors,  tape  measure,  pencil,  and  needle  book. 
A  screw  eye  in  each  upper  corner  of  the  board 
slipped  over  nails  or  screw-hooks  will  hold  it 
fast. 

Hang  a  similar  board  on  the  wall  back  of  the 
machine,  and  furnish  the  nails  in  it  with  spools 
of  thread — all  sorts  the  machine  may  require. 


MAKING   AND    MAKING   OVER          00 

Put  a  hook  at  Viottom  for  special  machine 
scissors,  and  hang  upon  another  hook  a  small, 
flat,  open  pocket  to  hold  wisps  of  aljsorbcnt 
cotton  for  wiping  off  oil,  a  tiny  bottle  of  alcohol 
for  removing  spots  of  it,  and  a  couple  of 
finger  stalls  and  two  short  bandages  to  save 
pricked  fingers  from  making  blood  spots.  A 
starch  bag,  very  porous,  for  covering  such  spots 
instantly,  is  also  advisable  with  fine  light- 
colored  work. 

Tack  against  the  wall  over  the  table  a  square 
of  denim  iiolding  three  long  pockets,  set  cross- 
wise, for  patterns.  Keep  patterns  folded  flat, 
not  rolled.  Press  smooth  before  using,  and  let 
he  till  cool,  so  they  will  not  curl.  Hang  a 
small  well-filled  pincushion  below  the  pattern 
pockets,  also  leaves  of  flannel  filled  with 
basting-needles.  Set  close  by  a  firm-standing 
waste  basket  with  a  wide  mouth.  Throw  into 
it  all  useless  clippings  as  fast  as  made. 

Cutting  Out:  Spread  plain-surfaced  things, 

as  silk,  linen,  serge,  and  lighter  woolens,  double 

upon  the  table,  which  must  be  at  full  length. 

Lay  on  patterns,  having  regard  to  warp  and 
8 


100  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

woof  threads.  Let  warp  run  up  and  down, 
woof  around.  In  cutting  a  bodice  the  woof 
threads  should  make  a  sort  of  belt.  Thus 
tliey  pull  true,  and  the  seams  are  an  easy  bias. 
Lay  on  the  whole  pattern  as  nearly  as  space 
allows,  and  study  economy  of  material  in 
arranging  the  pieces,  but  not  at  the  cost  of 
getting  threads  wrong.  Cut  with  sharp  shears, 
taking  care  to  allow  for  seams  when  requisite. 
Lay  off  pieces  as  cut  out,  but  keep  the  cloth 
steady  by  means  of  light  weights.  Patterns 
are  best  pinned  in  place,  but  with  long  lines, 
as  skirts  or  «lraperies,  books  laid  on  as  weights 
are  better,  besides  being  easier. 

Things  with  a  nap,  as  broadcloth  and  cor- 
duroy, must  not  be  cut  with  cloth  dou])lp  from 
each  end.  If  the  goods  is  double-fold,  cutting 
double  is  desirable.  Otherwise  cut  so  the  nap 
runs  the  same  in  each  piece.  This  also  api)lies 
in  case  of  figured  stuffs  with  a  decided  up  and 
down.  To  make  a  waist  or  coat  pattern 
smaller  lay  a  crosswise  plait  from  armhole  to 
edge,  and  cross  it  with  a  lengthwise  one  of 
equal  width.     Enlarge  a  pattern  by  cutting 


MAKING    AND    MAKING    OVER        101 

it  across  instead  of  plaiting  it  and  pasting  in 
strips  of  paper.  Alter  skirt  lengths  usually  at 
the  bottom;  either  fold  up  or  allow  extra.  If 
too  wide,  fold  down  along  each  edge  to  keep 
proportions. 

Basting:  Baste  shoulder  seams  with  the 
upper  half  of  the  fronts  stretched  tight,  the 
back  held  a  little  full.  Pressing  heals  the 
puckers,  which  give  the  smooth  fit  over  the 
hollow  of  the  shoulder  not  otherwise  attain- 
able. Use  fine  firm  thread  for  basting,  with 
a  large-eyed  needle.  Take  medium  running 
stitches  in  seams  to  be  fitted ;  with  edges  to  be 
held  for  sewing  together  make  the  stitches 
very  long,  and  set  them  so  far  back  the  stitching 
will  not  catch  them. 

Pressing :  Have  a  small  board  covered  with 
flannel,  then  with  muslin,  for  pressing.  An 
alcohol  stove  for  heating  irons  saves  time  and 
trouble.  Keep  it  with  the  iron  inside  a  handy 
box,  upon  which  it  can  be  set  when  lighted. 
Do  not  damp  woolen  things  before  pressing. 
Moisten  silk  very  slightly,  linen  rather  more, 
and  cotton,  as  in  linings,  most  of  all.     Press 


102  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

rounding  seams,  such  as  armholes  and  rolling 
collars,  over  the  end  of  the  board.  Press  sleeve 
seams  with  the  small  end  of  the  board  inside. 
Sew  up  and  press  outer  sleeve  seams  before 
sewing  inner  ones.  Do  the  same  with  very  tiny 
trousers.  Where  pressing  must  be  done  on  the 
right  side  cover  with  a  thin  cloth  very  slightly 
dampened. 

Things  Applied :  Lace,  insertion,  motifs,  and 
so  on,  need  to  be  set  on  the  cloth  and  sewed 
firmly  in  place,  then  to  have  the  cloth  cut  out 
underneath.  Turn  cut  edges  back  and  stitch 
or  sew  again.  Ribbon  trimmings,  unless  gath- 
ered, are  best  put  on  by  hand,  with  very  long 
stitches  on  the  wrong  side,  very  short  ones  on 
top.  Bands  or  borders  applied  as  hems 
should  be  sewed  on  to  the  edge,  turned  over  it, 
not  flat  with  it,  then  basted  down  and  stitched 
at  the  upper  edges.  Hold  true  in  sewing  on — 
a  pucker  or  stretching  ruins  the  fit.  Miter 
corners  very  neatly,  and  stitch  upon  the  wrong 
side.  In  putting  in  a  fold  or  piping  baste 
with  the  double  edge  even  with  the  edge  of  the 
garment,  or  the  band,  then  turn  over  and  baste 


MAKING    AND    MAKING    OVER         103 

before  stitching.  Hold  lace  a  little  full  on 
rounding  edges  so  it  shall  not  hoop  nor  draw. 

Make  fancy  yokes,  put  on  the  collar,  then 
arrange  smoothly  on  the  form,  put  over  the 
bodice,  fit  together,  and  set  a  thick  row  of  pins 
where  they  are  to  join.  If  the  bodice  edge  is 
finished,  pin  together — if  it  is  to  be  sewn  in, 
leave  it  free.  An  overlapping  yoke  had  better 
have  the  bodice  cut  almost  full  height,  and  the 
surplus  cut  away  after  the  yoke  is  put  on. 

Making  Over:  Begin  making  over  by  re- 
furbishing—cleaning, dyeing,  pressing,  turn- 
ing. Rip,  pick  out  stitches,  take  out  spots, 
and  brush. 

Dyeing:  Dyeing  is  easy.  Use  cotton  or 
woolen  d3'es  according  to  need.  But  first 
wash  stuffs  very  clean.  Discharge  color  by 
soaking  several  hours  in  suds,  or  cream-of- 
tartar  solution,  boiling  half  an  hour  in  clear 
water,  and  dj^e  while  still  hot.  Have  a  roomy 
dye  pot,  drop  into  it  all  parts  of  a  garment  at 
once  to  make  the  new  color  uniform.  Have  the 
stuff  loosely  crumpled,  stir  down  instantly  with 
a  clean  wooden  stick.     Lift  after  a  minute  to 


104  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

air,  stir  down  again,  and  finish  according  to 
directions.  Each  dye  has  its  own  special 
Hmitations.  Knitted  woolens,  as  sweaters, 
caps,  and  so  on,  must  not  be  soaked  nor 
boiled,  only  washed  quickly,  covered  with 
clear  hot  water,  let  stand  a  minute,  then 
squeezed  out  and  put  into  the  pot.  Silk 
should  not  be  washed  unless  very  dirty;  clean 
with  gasolene  instead,  but  wet  with  clear  hot 
water  before  dyeing.  If  it  loses  body  after 
washing,  dip  into  stale  beer  or  weak  gum  water 
(see  section  Renovators)  or  else  stiff  en  with  weak 
sugar  water,  and  iron  while  damp.  A  black 
kid  glove  cut  up  and  boiled  in  a  gallon  of  water 
till  reduced  one  half  makes  a  good  stift'ener 
for  black  silk,  also  for  mixtures  of  silk  and  wool. 
This,  whether  they  are  dyed  or  merely  washed. 
So  does  stale  beer. 

Tack  lace  to  strips  of  cloth  before  dyeing  and 
leave  on  them  till  washed  and  pressed.  Dyed 
net  had  better  be  partly  dried  in  crumpled 
heaps  after  washing,  then  stiffened  and  pressed. 

Gasolene-cleaning :  Take  out  spots  (see  sec- 
tion Spots),  then  plunge  in  a  clean  vessel,  pour 


MAKING    AND    MAKING    OVER         105 

on  gasolene  to  cover,  wash  quickly,  laving 
rather  than  rubbing  or  wrin}i;ing.  Change  to 
clean  gasolene,  wash  again,  then  hang  to  air 
at  least  ten  hours.  This  must  be  done  away 
from  fire  or  light.  Press  on  the  wrong  side,  and 
roll  around  a  rod  or  mailing-tube  instead  of 
folding. 

Washing  Silk  and  Cloth:  Tack,  matching 
pieces  together,  right  sides  in,  wash  double  in 
warm  white  soapsuds,  rinse  twice,  keeping 
temperature  even,  and  hang  to  dry  without 
wringing.  Take  down  when  damp,  and  iron 
double,  going  first  over  one  side,  then  the  other. 
Stiffen  by  wiping  over  ahead  of  the  iron  with 
stale  beer,  glove  liquor,  or  cold  coffee;  or  w(\ak 
tea,  for  silk;  with  very  thin  starch  or  gum 
water  for  woolens.  Roll  after  pressing.  Iron 
cloth  the  way  of  the  nap,  not  across  it.  Fig- 
ured silk  and  brocade  should  be  ironed  on  a  soft 
l)oard. 

Freshening  Lace:  A  bath  in  stale  beer  with 
draining  afterward  freshens  rusty  black  lace, 
also  stiffens  it.  It  must  be  pressed  when 
barely  c}amp.     Clean  cream  and  light  laces  in 


106  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

gasolene,  using  a  very  little  white  soap  if  they 
are  much  soiled.  Hang  to  air  smooth — press- 
ing hurts  the  look.  Lying  in  powdered  starch 
and  magnesia  for  a  week  will  often  freshen 
laces.  Mend  them  before  cleaning  (see  section 
Making  Whole).  Shake  free  of  powder — dust 
and  grime  will  go  with  it — and  smooth  by  lay- 
ing back  and  forth  between  the  leaves  of  a  big 
book  and  putting  on  weight. 

Trimmings:  Clean  ribbons,  braids,  galloons, 
and  fringes  in  a  bath  of  gasolene,  changing  at 
need,  hang  smooth  to  air,*then  press  under 
weights,  else  roll  inside  a  damp  cloth  for  an 
hour,  then  press  on  the  wrong  side  with  a  warm 
(not  hot)  iron.  Wind  braid  about  spools  or 
tubes,  and  leave  a  day  and  night.  Comb  out 
fringes  and  wind  around  cardboard.  In  dyc^- 
ing  fringe  fold  compactly  and  sew  inside  a  thin 
bag,  then  dye  as  usual.  The  bag  prevents  the 
fringe  proper  from  matting. 

As  to  Turning:  Things  worn  threadbare 
had  better  be  turned,  either  with  or  without 
dyeing.  Darn  the  threadbare  spots,  loosely 
and    sparsely,   press — on    the    right    side,   of 


MAKING    AND    MAKING    OVER         107 

course.  Press  all  over,  then  take  stock  of 
needs  and  materials.  Make  the  most  of  every 
clothes  opportunity. 

Freshening  Velvet:  Raise  the  pile  of 
crushed  velvet  by  stretching  over  a  wet  cloth 
laid  on  the  face  of  a  very  hot  iron  and  brushing 
hard  while  the  steam  rises.  This  answers  for 
spots  and  streaks — with  a  crushed  surface  or 
one  so  faded  dyeing  will  help  it,  make  into 
panne  velvet  by  pressing  on  the  right  side 
while  damp,  laying  the  pile  all  one  way. 
Velveteen  and  cotton-backed  velvet  dye  poorly. 
Brush  well,  tack  on  a  board,  and  paint  with 
hot  dye,  using  a  soft  brush.  Let  stand  in  air 
to  set,  then  wash  with  a  cloth  and  soapsuds, 
followed  bj^  rinsing.  Press  on  the  right  side 
while  still  damp.  This  gives  a  surface  passable 
for  school  hats  or  caps,  or  yokes  and  cuffs  on 
made-over  frocks. 

Save  the  Pieces:  In  cutting  down  men's 
clothes  use  the  worn  parts  to  interline  smaller 
new  garments.  Use  the  very  best  for  the 
outside,  even  though  it  necessitates  piecing. 
Match  threads  and  figures  exactl}-,  sew  fast, 


108  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

and  press  hard,  then  piecing  hardly  shows.  Do 
it  before  cutting  out.  With  sleazy  stuff  whip 
over  edges  before  sewing  together.  Avoid 
putting  pieced  seams  where  there  will  be  con- 
stant pressure. 

Adaptation:  A  jacket  or  coat  worn  along 
seams  may  be  made  to  serve  beautifully  for  a 
much  smaller  person  by  simply  ripping  all 
seams,  trimming,  and  sewing  again.  Lengthen 
skirts  outgrown  by  insets  of  embroider}^  or  con- 
trasting color.  Make  the  waist  to  match, 
either  with  an  inset  or  a  deep  girdle.  Aim  to 
make  all  changes  so  they  shall  look  voluntary, 
not  makeshift.  In  handing  down  outgrown 
garments  be  merciful  enough  to  change  them 
so  the  new  possessor  shall  not  be  taunted  for 
wearing.  This  is  not  hard;  a  new  yoke,  belt, 
and  cuffs  will  transfigure  a  garment,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  magic  wrought  by  dyeing. 
Cut,  fit,  and  finish  madeovers  quite  as  care- 
fully as  new  things.  Change  trimmings — for 
moral  and  esthetic  effect.  Make  several  dye- 
ings—  it  is  piteous  to  see  a  whole  family 
touched  up  with  navy  blue  or  wine-red  or  pink, 


MAKIXr;    AXD    MAKIXr.    OVER         109 

Dyes  are  so  cheap,  dyeing  so  easy,  give  your- 
self the  satisfaction  of  variety.  If  combining 
materials,  dye  them  one  after  the  other,  the 
heaviest  first.  It  is  likely  to  be  deepest.  Use 
the  lighter  tint  according  to  quantity  and 
taste  for  foundation  or  accessories.  Remem- 
ber two  good  garments,  or  even  one,  will  do 
more  good  than  several  skimped  and  spoiled. 
Millinery:  Steam  hats  of  fanc}^  braid  soft, 
unpick,  steam  again,  sew  while  soft,  shape,  and 
wire.  To  change  color,  paint  over  with  dye, 
let  dry  thoroughly,  then  wipe  over  with  a 
cloth  wet  in  alcohol  to  remove  surplus  color. 
Or  wash  quickly  with  white  soapsuds,  drying 
in  sunlight;  or  wipe  over  with  alum  water. 
None  of  these  are  necessary  if  the  color  does 
not  rub  off.  Or  veil  with  net,  chiffon,  lace, 
or  grenadine.  Cord  the  brim  edge  with  silk  or 
velvet,  and  shir  the  thin  stuff  inside.  Shape 
by  bending  while  still  damp.  Trim  according 
to  taste  and  fashion.  Hats  of  beaver  can  be 
steamed  a  very  little,  then  pressed  over  an 
improvised  block — a  fruit  jar  inverted,  a 
crockj  a  tin  pan,  or  bucket.     Cover  with  a 


110  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

damp  cloth  while  pressing.  Begin  on  some- 
thing of  little  value,  learning  by  experience. 
Hats  of  velvet  or  silk  or  lace  must  be  unpicked, 
freshened,  and  made  up  anew,  using  new 
shapes.  Lingerie  hats  require  simply  washing 
and  reshaping  over  clean  frames  with  fresh  or 
freshened  ribbons. 

Restore  ribbon  and  velvet  as  already  di- 
rected. To  improve  crushed  and  faded  flowers 
touch  the  backs  of  the  petals  thickly  with  gum 
arable  (see  section  Renovators),  let  dry,  then  dip 
in  gasolene,  lave  quickly,  and  pass  on  into  more 
gasolene  which  has  had  a  tube  of  oil  color  dis- 
solved in  it.  Work  quickly,  moving  the  flower 
sprays  about  so  they  shall  not  be  blotched  nor 
streaked.  Lay  on  soft  paper  to  dry  in  airy 
shade.  Big  flowers — roses,  orchids,  poppies — 
had  better  be  separated  before  dyeing,  then  re- 
mounted. Touching  up  the  hearts  with  oil 
color  rubbed  smooth  in  a  little  poppy  oil,  using 
a  camel's-hair  brush,  is  a  further  improvement. 

Stiff  fancy  feathers  can  be  dyed,  not  by  dip- 
ping, but  painting  with  hot  dye,  and  taking  off 
the  surplus  by  brushing  hard  when  dry  with 


MAKING    AND    MAKING   OVER         111 

corn  starch  and  prepared  chalk  in  fine  powder. 
Touch  mounting  very  lightly — they  are  found- 
ed on  glue.  If  ill-colored,  conceal  them  with 
choux  of  ribbon  or  velvet  or  a  made  orna- 
ment. 

Fine  feathers  should  go  to  professionals — • 
at  least,  until  their  owners  learn  to  color  cheap 
ones.  Draggled  soft  feathers  may  be  colored 
with  gasolene  and  tube  paint,  shaking  hard 
while  the}'-  dry  so  there  shall  be  no  clotting. 
Strip  off  when  dry,  and  tie  the  flues  into  pom- 
pons about  lengths  of  stiff  wire  with  loops  in 
the  end.  Wind  the  wire  with  silk  thread  or 
cover  with  a  spiral  of  tissue  paper.  Two  or 
three  shades  of  the  same  color  tied  thus  make 
a  handsome  ornament  for  any  school  hat. 

Clean  white  and  light  plumes  by  sprinkling 
very  lightly  with  gasolene,  then  burning  a  week 
in  corn  starch  and  magnesia.  Shake  out  the 
powder,  beat  the  plumes  steadily  but  gently 
against  the  palm,  then  comb  very  gently  wath 
a  coarse  clean  comb,  and  hold  in  the  steam  of 
a  kettle.  Curl,  if  you  like,  by  drawing  the 
flues,  a  few  at  a  time,  over  the  edge  of  a  blunt 


Hi  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

knife,  taking  care  to  draw  so  steadily  there  is  no 
breaking. 

Ornaments:  Mark  what  you  wish — ^buckle, 
butterfly,  star,  crescent,  dagger,  or  quill — • 
accurately  upon  rather  fine  buckram,  sew  fine 
wire  over  the  outlines,  then  cut  out  neatly. 
Cover  with  silk  or  velvet.  Make  a  butterfly 
body  of  velvet  very  slightly  padded  with  wings 
of  silk.  Sew  firm,  turning  stuff  well  over 
edges,  then  sew  on  beads,  anj^  sort  you  like. 
Make  them  imitate  butterfly  markings,  cover  a 
quill  as  though  flues,  fill  star  surfaces  com- 
pletely, but  simply  edge  crescents  and  buckles. 
After  edging  put  inside  bigger  beads,  of  con- 
trasting color.  The  beading  done,  cover  the 
whole  under  side  neatly  with  soft  thin  silk  or 
net.  Quills  need  a  stout  center  wire.  Crystal, 
with  a  tip  of  gold  beads  or  silver  and  bronze 
or  jet  with  silver  and  rhinestones,  deftly  man- 
aged make  effective  ornaments. 


VII 
REMEDYING  SPOTS,  STAINS,  AND  TARNISH 

Grease  Spots  in  Wood:  Scour  unpaintcd 
wood  with  clean  sand  after  pouring  strong  lye 
upon  the  grease  spot.  If  it  is  very  obstinate, 
cover  with  a  paste  of  prepared  chalk,  corn 
starch,  and  whiting  wet  with  ammonia,  let 
stand  two  days,  and  scour.  Grease  stays 
on  varnished  surfaces;  wash  it  off  witli  warm 
borax  soapsuds  and  follow,  after  wiping  dry, 
by  a  hard  rubbing  with  alcohol  and  turpentine 
mixed.  Machine  oil  must  be  taken  out  with 
either  gasolene  or  alcohol,  then  scoured  with 
cold  suds — heat  sets  it. 

Dust  greasy  walls  thickly  with  powdered 
chalk  or  whiting,  brush  off  after  a  day,  and 
repeat.  For  a  small  but  staring  spot  lay  chalk 
thickly  between  net,  hold  it  flat  against  the 
spot,  with  a  very  hot  iron  over  it.     Commonly 


114  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

this  will  take  up  the  grease.  Chalk  or  whiting 
wet  with  alcohol  to  a  thin  paste  and  left  to  dry 
on  grease  spots,  then  gently  brushed  off,  will  re- 
move grease.  But  with  paper  badly  spotted  it 
is  best  to  take  it  off  and  put  on  a  fresh  length. 

Machine  oil  on  garments  old  or  new  must  be 
taken  out  with  gasolene,  else  washed  in  white 
soap  and  cold  water.  If  spots  are  black  as 
well  as  greasy,  lay  them  face  down  upon  a 
thick  cloth  and  pour  alcohol  or  gasolene  through, 
not  rubbing  the  spot  proper,  but  sawing  it  back 
and  forth  against  the  cloth  underneath — thus 
the  black  is  not  imbedded  in  the  fabric.  Lay 
thin  things  spotted  face  down  and  dab  hard 
repeatedly  with  a  swab  of  cotton  tied  in  net  and 
wet  with  gasolene.  Move  the  spots  to  clean 
surfaces,  and  swab  till  clean.  Lay  silk  and 
gauze,  especially  delicately  colored  ones,  over 
a  layer  of  calcined  magnesia  mixed  with  corn 
starch,  and  pour  through  either  grain  alcohol 
or  chloroform.  Wet  very  lightly  a  ring  around 
the  spot  of  unspotted  fabric  and  work  from  it  in- 
ward to  the  spot.   This  to  save  annoying  circles. 

Take  grease  out  of  woolens  with  a  flood  of 


REMEDYING    SPOTS,    STAINS,    ETC.     115 

gasolene,  changing  it  as  it  grows  dirty.  If 
caked  dirt  shows  afterward,  wasli  with  naphtha 
soap,  applying  lather  to  the  spot,  holding  a  very 
hot  iron  a  little  way  from  it  for  a  minute,  then 
washing  off  with  hot  water.  Instead  of  the 
iron  you  may  hold  the  spot  to  the  spout  of  a 
boiling  kettle,  letting  the  steam  penetrate  it. 
Greasy  coat  collars  and  heavy  garments 
blotched  with  spilled  food  demand  washing  in 
suds  besides  the  washing  in  gasolene. 

For  a  greasy  carpet  mix  whiting  and  corn- 
meal,  make  hot,  sift  on  thickly,  cover  with 
gasolene,  and  rub  hard  and  quickly  until  the 
gasolene  evaporates,  then  sweep  very  clean  and 
wipe  with  a  damp  cloth.  If  gasolene  involves  fire 
risks,  leave  the  powder  standing  for  several  days, 
sweep  off,  and  repeat  if  the  grease  is  not  all  gone. 

Axle-grease  spots  or  any  other  partly  resin- 
ous must  be  softened  with  oil,  then  taken  out 
with  gasolene  or  turpentine.  Washing,  even 
boiling,  sets  them.  It  is  the  same  with  linseed- 
oil  spots.  Take  them  out  with  turpentine 
followed  by  gasolene. 

Road  Stains,  whether  from  mud,  asphalt, 
9 


116  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

tar,  oil  dirt,  or  oil  proper,  are  as  easy  to  get  as 
they  are  hard  to  get  rid  of.  Let  mud  cakes 
and  flakes  severely  alone  until  dry — ^viping 
while  wet  smears  them  and  gives  a  firmer  hold 
on  the  fabric  underneath.  A  soft  semi-fluid 
mud,  if  it  can  be  dipped  almost  instantly  in 
clear  water,  laved  without  touching,  then  have 
water  poured  through  from  the  back,  will  be 
apt  not  to  leave  a  mark — so  wash  whenever 
such  washing  is  possible.  Where  it  is  impos- 
sible, hold  the  stained  surface  mud  side  down 
until  dry,  then  rub  and  brush  well  before  at- 
tempting to  get  rid  of  the  mark.  Stiff  mud 
left  to  dry  undisturbed  will  come  away  leaving 
but  a  faint  mark.  If  it  is  clay  mud,  pour  boiling 
water  through  it  from  the  wrong  side  in  a 
steady  stream  for  at  least  a  minute.  Wet  as 
small  a  space  as  possible,  stretch  it  smooth,  let 
dry,  brush  or  rub  with  coarse  velvet,  cover  with 
a  cream  of  French  chalk,  starch,  and  alcohol, 
let  dry,  and  brush  off;  commonly  the  stain 
goes  with  it.  This  for  silk  or  wool.  Wash 
fabrics  need  only  to  be  well  laundered  after 
the  boiling-water  treatment. 


REMEDYING   SPOTS,    STAINS,    ETC.    117 

Grimy  mud  needs  to  be  well  wet  with  kero- 
sene, let  stand  an  hour,  then  cleaned  with 
either  alcohol  or  gasolene.  Gasolene  or  benzine 
will  also  take  out  spots  of  tar  and  asphalt,  but 
they  come  away  quicker  and  cleaner  if  first  wet 
with  turpentine,  then  greased  on  both  sides 
with  soft  lard,  and  let  stand  a  while.  Dip  in 
the  gasolene,  soiled  side  out,  and  change  the 
gasolene  as  soon  as  it  looks  dark.  Bold  big 
stains  may  demand  three  changes.  After  the 
stain  is  out  spread  the  fabric  smooth  and  wipe 
all  round  the  gasolened  space  with  a  cloth 
dipped  in  more  gasolene  to  prevent  circles. 
Soften  oil  marks  or  those  from  oily  dirt  by 
wetting  thoroughly  with  kerosene,  washing  out 
later  in  gasolene  as  directed  for  tar.  Very  fine 
things  can  be  cleaned  with  ether  or  alcohol  in- 
stead of  gasolene,  pouring  through  the  spot  and 
rubbing  with  a  wisp  of  cotton. 

Take  grease  from  paper,  as  books  or  prints, 
by  laying  on  thickly  powdered  borax  and 
calcined  magnesia,  and  keeping  warm  for 
several  days.  Shut  books  tight  upon  the 
powder  and  put  under  moderate  weight.     Or 


lis  HOUSEHOLD  HANDBOOK 

iron  over  the  powder  with  a  very  hot  iron, 
shake  off,  apply  fresh,  and  tie  or  put  under 
weight.  A  tender  old  print,  much  soiled, 
should  be  pasted  on  a  thin  cloth  and  cleaned 
with  a  damp,  soapy  cloth,  then,  after  drying, 
covered  both  sides  with  chalk,  left  several  days, 
then  shaken  out  and  ironed  on  the  wrong  side, 
with  the  right  against  a  soft  clean  cloth.  Miti- 
gate grease  on  leather  bindings  with  the  chalk 
pad  and  hot  iron — it  is  rarely  wholly  remov- 
able. Plain  calf  admits  of  gasolene,  but  for 
anything  else  dry  cleaning  alone  is  safe. 

Paint  and  Varnish:  Soak  hardened  metal- 
lic paint  in  turpentine  till  softened,  then  remove 
with  gasolene,  alcohol,  or  chloroform.  Chlo- 
roform is  the  thing  for  fine  fabrics  of  delicate 
colors.  Use  alcohol  on  white  stuff,  swabbing 
with  an  upward  motion.  Varnish  requires 
little  beyond  the  turpentine  treatment.  Earth 
paints  and  calcimine  demand  washing  in  soap- 
suds to  get  rid  of  the  color.  Remove  paint 
from  floors  or  windows  with  strong  hot  soda 
water  or  else  a  cloth  well  wet  in  turpentine. 
Gasolene  will  likewise  remove  it,  but  is  more 


REMEDYING    SPOTS,    STAINS,  ETC.    119 

apt  to  smear.  Plate  glass  or  fine  mirrors 
should  be  polished  with  whiting  and  alcohol 
after  the  spots  have  been  removed.  Wet  to  a 
cream,  rub  on,  let  stand  awhile,  then  rub  off 
with  clean  cloths. 

Ice-cream  and  Gelatine:  Such  spots  must 
be  soaked  in  clear  cold  water  for  at  least  an 
hour.  If  on  garments  that  forbid  soaking,  lay 
the  spot  upon  a  folded  damp  cloth,  put  another 
over  it,  and  press  with  moderate  weight  for  an 
hour.  Then  wipe  off  on  both  sides  with  borax 
water,  weak  and  cold,  followed  by  several 
rinsings  in  clear  cold  water.  Shift  the  spot 
to  a  clean  place  now  and  then.  When  clean 
pin  it  smooth  between  thick  clothes  and 
press  dry  with  a  moderate  iron.  Wash  fab- 
rics, of  course,  can  be  laundered  after  soak- 
ing. 

Fruit  Stains:  Soak  fresh  fruit  stains  half 
an  hour  in  cold  water,  then  pour  boiling  water 
through  them  and  dry  quickly.  If  they  have 
been  set  by  soap  and  boiling,  touch  them  with 
Javelle  water  (see  section  Renovators),  washing 
it  out  quickly.     Use  only  on  w^hite  things — it 


120  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

takes  out  color  as  well  as  stains.  Some  stains 
on  colored  things  can  be  taken  out  harmlessly 
by  covering  with  salt  and  vinegar  and  leaving 
two  hours  in  the  sun.  Tomato  juice  and  salt 
in  sunshine  is  another  prescription — with  a 
bright  tin  underneath.  An  apple  cut  in  half 
and  laid  under  a  set  stain  in  sunshine  is  like- 
wise effectual.  Take  care,  though,  to  wash 
the  material  well  in  cold  water  so  there  may 
not  be  a  fresh  apple  stain. 

Ammonia  removes  acid  discolorations;  it 
also  mitigates  perspiration  marks.  Use  the 
spirits,  and  follow  with  alcohol  and  water, 
dabbed  on  lightly. 

Wine  Stains:  Wet  wine  stains  with  alcohol 
or  whisky  and  soak  an  hour  in  cold  water,  else 
pour  boiling  water  through  them  with  the 
fabric  held  taut,  and  dry  before  laundering. 
This  for  table  linen.  Stained  silk  or  cloth  must 
be  dabbed  many  times  with  tepid  water,  press- 
ing with  dry  cloths  between  dabbings.  Do  not 
make  wet  enough  to  leave  circles.  Shake 
finely  powdered  chalk  on  thickly  when  the 
dabbing  is  done,  let  it  lie  for  a  day,  then  brush 


REMEDYIXr,    SPOTS,    STAINS,   ETC.     121 

off,  and  if  a  mark  romains  dab  with  alcohol  and 
water,  blood  warm,  or  hold  the  stain  with  the 
wrong  side  next  a  steaming  spout,  wiping  it  off 
well  as  soon, as  it  is  damp. 

Ink  Stains:  If  ink  is  spilled  on  a  carpet, 
take  up  every  l)it  possible  with  warm,  damp 
cloths,  letting  them  lie  to  absorl)  it.  Follow 
with  cloths  wet  in  cold,  sweet  milk,  rub])ing 
and  dabbing  vigorously.  Wash  afterward 
with  clear  hot  water,  then  sift  on,  while  damp, 
cornmeal  or  dry  sawdust  and  let  stand  a  day, 
brush  off,  and  wipe  the  spot  over  with  alcohol. 
Lacking  cloths,  crumpled  paper,  newspaper,  or 
blotting-paper  can  be  used  to  take  up  the  ink. 
Never  wipe  it,  and  take  up  about  the  edges 
first,  to  save  spreading. 

Take  stains  from  wood  with  oxalic-acid 
solution  (see  section  Renovators) .  Reduce  one 
half  with  boiling  water,  wet  the  stain,  wipe  off 
with  clear,  hot  water;  if  stain  remains,  repeat 
the  acid.  Use  the  acid  on  white  things  ink- 
stained,  wetting  them  first  with  boiling  water 
and  holding  the  stain  in  steam  or  close  to  a 
very  hot  iron  for  a  minute  or  two  after  dipping 


122  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

in  tho  acid.  Wash  out  the  acid  with  clear 
water,  as  hot  as  can  be  borne. 

Take  ink  stains  from  paper  by  laying  it  on  a 
thick  cloth,  putting  on  a  drop  or  two  of  acid, 
covering  with  another  cloth,  and  pressing  with 
a  hot  iron.  Remove  to  a  clean,  wet  cloth, 
cover,  and  press  again. 

Oxalic  acid  must  not  be  used  full  strength 
on  silk  or  woolens.  Weaken  two-thirds  with 
boiling  water,  and  pour  boiling  water  through 
the  stain  after  wetting  with  the  acid.  Test 
the  color;  if  the  acid  destroys  it,  try  either 
covering  the  stain  with  a  paste  of  French  chalk 
and  alcohol,  letting  dry  and  brushing  off,  or 
dropping  blazing  tallow  through  from  the 
wrong  side,  and  later  removing  it  with  gas- 
olene or  chloroform,  the  same  as  an  ordi- 
nary grease  mark.  The  tallow  must  be  left 
on  several  days  so  it  may  combine  with  the 
ink. 

Tar  and  Asphalt:  Rub  tar  spots  with  soft 
grease,  let  lie,  and  remove  with  gasolene  or  by 
washing  in  hot  suds.  Asphalt  should  be  well 
wet  with  kerosene,  left  to  stand,  then  washed 


REMEDYING    SPOTS,    STAINS,    ETC.    123 

out  in  tiirpontino  or  alcoliol.  Soap  sets  it  hope- 
lessly if  applied  at  first. 

Grass  Stains:  Rub  molasses  well  into  the 
stains,  let  lie  overnight,  then  wash  out  with 
tepid  water,  repeating  if  the  stain  still  shows. 
If  a  brown  mark  is  left,  wet  with  weak  chloride 
of  lime  water  (see  section  Renovators)  and 
hang  in  hot  sunshine  or  close  to  a  fire. 

Iron  Rust:  Take  out  with  oxahe  acid  the 
same  as  ink  stains.  Else  cover  thickly  with 
salt  after  wetting  in  boiling  water,  lay  in  sun- 
shine over  bright  tin,  and  squeeze  on  lemon 
juice  or  that  of  a  ripe  tomato.  Wash  out  in 
hot  water,  repeating  if  necessary. 

Mildew:  Wet  with  boiling  water,  wring  dry, 
then  dip  in  sour  milk,  lay  in  sun,  and  cover 
thickly  with  salt.  Or  beat  a  raw,  ripe  apple 
to  a  pulp,  mix  with  salt  liberally,  and  spread  on 
the  spots  in  the  sun.  Salt  and  lemon,  salt 
and  tomato,  or  oxalic  acid  will  likewise  remove 
mildew.  The  advantage  of  fruit  processes  is 
that  they  do  no  harm  to  the  fabric,  which  the 
oxalic  acid  weakens  somewhat,  no  matter  how 
carefully  used.     Very  fine  and  choice  mildewed 


124  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

fabrics  should  be  covered  with  a  paste  of  sifted 
starch  and  laid  on  the  grass  in  sunshine. 
Wash  off  paste  and  repeat  till  mildew  dis- 
appears. 

Wax  Spots:  Soften,  dip  in  warm  oil,  let  lie 
an  hour,  k(H'ping  warm,  wash  in  turpentine, 
then  in  alcohol  or  gasolene. 

Perspiration  Marks:  Try  dry-cleaning, 
sifting  upon  them  over  and  over  and  over  corn 
starch,  magnesia,  and  French  chalk.  Rub 
lightly  after  each  sifting.  If  the  mark  remains, 
try  ether.  Make  a  swab  of  soft  white  silk 
filled  with  the  powder,  pour  on  the  ether  a 
little  at  a  time,  and  dab  the  swab.  Put  a  drop 
or  so  of  ammonia  spirit  upon  the  swab — not 
enough  to  change  colors.  If  ether  fails,  deluge 
with  chloroform,  rubbing  inward  hard  until  it 
evaporates.  Such  marks  are  the  problem  of 
amateur  cleaning — the  hardest  of  all  to  remove. 

Smoke  Stains:  Shave  half  a  bar  of  soap 
into  a  cup  of  boiling  water,  dissolve,  add  a  cup 
of  turpentine,  a  cup  of  kerosene,  and  a  half  cup 
of  ammonia  spirit.  Mix,  and  cover  close. 
Spread  on  the  stain,  let  stand  five  minutes. 


REMEDYING    SPOTS,    STAINS,    ETC.     125 

then  rub  hard  with  the  lead  swab  (see  section 
J^^quipment)  and  wash  off  with  hot  water  and 
a  thick  cloth.  If  the  stain  is  on  plaster,  as 
around  a  grate,  use  a  ])rush  instead  of  the  swab, 
which  is,  for  stone,  brick,  or  niar])le,  a  sover- 
eign thing. 

Care  of  Iron:  Rust  is  the  l)ane  of  iron; 
grease,  its  salvation.  Coat  anything  not  in 
use  well  with  hot  tallow,  and  shake  over  it,  still 
hot,  either  fine  sifted  wood  ashes  or  powxlered 
unslacked  lime.  Wrap  in  clean  newspaper  and 
keep  dry.  When  wanted,  ])rush  hard  with  a 
stiff  brush;  there  will  be  a  beautiful  surface. 
Anything  pitted  with  rust  may  as  well  be 
thrown  away.  A  merely  rusty  surface  must 
be  greased  with  clear  fat,  left  standing  two 
days,  wiped,  washed  in  clear,  very  hot  water, 
and  greased  again.  Three  greasings  should 
bring  it  into  condition  for  polishing.  Wipe 
dry,  coat  with  oil,  shake  on  lime,  and  brush  off 
after  twenty-four  hours.  Any  alkali  without 
grease  predisposes  iron  to  rust.  Eschew  soap 
and  soda  in  cleaning  it.  Use  gasolene  or  tur- 
pentine or   even  kerosene.     A   cloth   wet  in 


126  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

either  will  take  off  smut.  Polish  with  crumpled 
newspaper  and  a  handful  of  hot  sawdust. 

Brass  and  Copper:  Remove  tarnish  from 
brass  and  copper  with  salt  and  strong  vinegar 
or  oxalic  acid  (see  section  Renovators).  Rub 
hard  till  bright  all  over,  wash  in  clear,  very 
hot  water,  then  while  still  hot  polish  with  a 
clean  chamois  skin  dipped  in  sweet  oil,  and  a 
pinch  of  either  whiting  or  very  fine  sand. 
Rub  quickly,  wipe  with  soft  paper,  heat 
moderately,  and  set  away.  This  gives  the 
mellow  old  look.  Copper  cooking-vessels  must 
be  scoured  inside  and  out,  first  with  the  salt 
and  vinegar,  then  with  soap  and  sand.  A 
greasy  cloth  rubbed  over  the  outside  protects 
them  without  being  dangerous.  If  stains  are 
deep  enough  to  demand  oxalic  acid,  be  sure  to 
wash  afterward  with  boiling  water  and  borax. 

Bronze:  Wash  bronze  with  a  soft  brush  in 
hot,  weak  borax  water,  dry  quickly,  keep 
warm,  and  rub  all  over  with  a  clean  cloth  wet 
in  turpentine  with  the  barest  suspicion  of  wax. 
It  must  not  coat  the  metal,  hardly  even  film  it. 
Make  bone-dry  before  setting  away. 


REMEDYING    SPOTS,    STAINS,    ETC.     127 

Pewter:  Remove  spots  with  a  swab  of 
wliiting  lightly  dipped  in  oil.  Wash  in  weak 
suds,  rinse  well  with  boiling  water,  dry,  and 
polish  with  hot  sand  and  a  stiff  brush. 

Silver  Tarnish:  Tarnish,  like  a  bad  habit, 
must  be  checked  in  the  beginning.  Prevention 
is  better  than  cure.  Keep  big  things,  when 
not  in  use,'well  wrapped  in  wax  paper  with  blue 
paper  outside  that,  and  absorbent  cotton  added. 
Put  inside  canton-flannel  bags,  tie  tight,  and 
keep  dark  and  dry.  Watch  all  things  not  thus 
ambushed  closely.  Remove  spots  as  soon  £is 
visible,  either  with  salt  and  whiting  wet  with 
borax  water  or  ammonia  and  French  chalk. 
Rub  hard  and  quickly,  wash  off,  wipe  dry,  and 
polish  with  dry  whiting  or  plate  powder,  or 
what  you  will.  Treat  egg-stained  spoons  with 
wet  salt.  Fortnightly  at  least  wash  every  bit 
of  silver  in  sight  in  warm  borax  soapsuds,  rinse 
in  boiling  water,  dry  with  clean  towels,  and  rub 
lightly  with  sifted  whiting.  Cover  chasings 
and  engraving  with  wet  whiting,  let  dry,  and 
brush  it  off.  For  things  in  high  relief  fold 
chamois  skin  over  the  point  of  a  blunt  skewer 


128  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

— thus  you  can  rub  the  deeps.  Count  at  each 
washing  and  keep  sets  together.  Upon  a  damp 
cleaning  day  lay  a  trayful  of  small  things  in  a 
half-warm  oven,  letting  them  stay  till  hot  and 
dry. 

Clean  toilet  silver  with  oxalic  acid  of  one- 
third  strength,  taking  care  to  touch  with  it 
nothing  but  the  metal.  Wipe  with  a  cloth 
wrung  very  dry  out  of  hot  water,  and  polish 
with  a  chamois  dipped  in  alcohol  and  whiting. 
Wrap  a  cloth  about  the  bristles  in  cleaning 
brush  backs,  and  wipe  with  old  silk  after  the 
polishing. 

Things  Gilded:  Wipe  dust  carefully  from 
anything  gilded  with  a  soft  silk  cloth,  then 
polish  with  a  clean  chamois  sprinkled  lightly 
with  alcohol  and  dipped  in  thrice-sifted  whit- 
ing. Rub  steadily  but  not  hard.  Blow  dust 
from  deep  carvings  with  a  hand  bellows  unless 
a  vacuum  cleaner  is  in  use. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
FOOD:   CHOOSING  AND   KEEPING 

Flour:  Perfect  flour  has  a  slight  yellow 
tinge  and  a  faint,  pleasant  smell,  especially 
after  wetting.  Dazzling  whiteness  indicates 
bleaching;  a  gray  tinge  or  minute  black  specks, 
showing  only  under  the  microscope,  grinding 
from  spoiled  grain.  Test  by  gripping  a  hand- 
ful— if  it  remains  the  shape  of  the  hand  and 
shows  the  lines  of  the  palm,  buy  it.  Gluten  is 
a  most  desirable  element.  Test  for  it  by 
wetting  a  pinch  to  a  stiff  dough,  and  washing 
the  starch  out  of  it  in  cold  water.  The  greater 
and  tougher  the  stringy  residue  the  greater  the 
gluten  content.  Wet  another  pinch  very  soft, 
take  it  betwixt  thumb  and  finger,  and  try  to 
spin  a  thread.  If  it  spins,  all  well;  if  it  does 
not,  but  makes  only  blobs  on  the  finger  tips, 
there  is  likely  to  have  been  corn  ground  with 


130  HOUSEHOLD  HANDBOOK 

the  wheat.  Another  test  for  corn  admixture 
is  to  dry  a  pinch,  but  not  scorch  it,  and  rub 
between  the  finger  tips.  Pure  wheat  flour  will 
not  feel  gritty,  but  corn,  no  matter  how 
finely  ground,  remains  a  little  rough. 

Set  flour  barrels  a  little  above  the  floor,  and 
do  not  use  the  same  one  continuously.  Any 
wooden  container  may  become  a  harbor  for 
insects.  A  japanned  tin  can,  emptied  and  aired 
monthly,  is  best  for  keeping  flour,  meal,  or 
oatmeal  in  bulk.  All  should  be  kept  where  it 
is  dry,  airy,  and  free  of  smells,  as  all  take  up 
taints  very  readily. 

Cornmeal:  Fresh  water -ground  cornmeal 
has  a  pleasant  smell,  and  runs  through  the 
fingers  without  caking  or  clotting.  A  musty 
odor  shows  it  is  too  old.  Meal  from  white 
flint  corn  is  much  the  most  desirable.  Sift 
it  at  need — the  bran  helps  to  keep  it.  Corn- 
meal kiln-dried  and  bolted,  as  it  has  to  be  for 
the  grocers  to  save  it  from  spoiling,  is,  in  a  sort 
a  libel  on  the  real  thing.  In  it  there  is  not 
much  choice  save  between  fine  and  coarse 
grinding.     Fine-ground  makes  clammy  bread, 


FOOD:    CHOOSING    AND    KEEPING      131 

hence  is  to  be  avoided.  But  even  kiln-drying 
should  not  quite  take  away  the  original  fra- 
grance. Perfect  meal  shows  under  the  micro- 
scope round  white  grains  like  fairy  hail. 

Oatmeal:  Beware  that  which  has  much 
grain  dust  between  the  grains.  Examine  care- 
fully a  double  handful  before  buying  in  quan- 
tity; if  you  find  even  one  trace  of  weevil,  reject 
it.  Weevil  and  sundry  mites — Acari  in  scien- 
tific parlance — are  the  bane  of  grain  foods  if 
they  are  kept  over  long.  Hence  the  caution 
of  keeping  them  in  bright  metal  away  from 
dampness  and  molds. 

Buckwheat  Flour:  Fresh  buckwheat  flour 
is  of  a  slightly  tawny  cast  and  a  lively  velvet 
feel.  Mustiness  means  age — at  first  there  is 
hardly  any  smell.  Clotting  or  caking  indicates 
dampness  either  of  grain  or  storage,  hence  a 
product  below  grade. 

Grits  and  Hominy:  Judge  by  the  absence 
of  grain  dust  and  the  even  grinding;  grains  the 
same  size  approximately  cook  evenly.  Ex- 
amine a  sprinkle  through  a  magnifying-glass, 

and  if  there  are  signs  of  weevil  or  mites  do  not 
10 


132  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

buy  at  any  price.  A  pocket  magnifier  is  cheap 
and  handy,  also  it  may  save  you  many  times  its 
cost  in  a  single  month. 

Coffee:  Green  coffee  beans  break  with  a 
clean  fracture,  and  if  the  break  is  ragged  or 
spongy  there  has  been  mold  or  heating. 
Iloasted  beans  should  show  one  half  very 
dark  brown,  the  other  half  black  but  not 
scorched.  Crack  between  the  teeth;  you  can 
taste  scorching.  Fresh-ground  coffee  is  stronger 
and  more  flavorous  than  that  ground  in  bulk. 
Also  there  is  less  chance  of  adulteration.  To 
test  for  adulteration,  stir  a  pinch  of  ground 
coffee  into  a  glass  of  cold  water.  Pure  coffee 
settles  to  the  bottom,  leaving  hardly  a  trace  of 
color.  Chicory  will  rise  to  the  top,  also  mak- 
ing a  kind  of  scum.  Adulteration  with  roasted 
grain  or  bread  or  the  artificial  beans  will  color 
the  water  more  or  less  deeply.  Keep  coffee  in 
bright  tin  or  glass,  tightly  closed,  away  from 
light,  where  it  is  dry  and  cool. 

Tea:  Tea  is  largely  a  matter  of  taste  and 
brands,  also  prices.  Very  cheap  tea  is  unde- 
sirable, being  commonly  adulterated  with  spent 


FOOD:    CHOOSING    AND    KEEPING      133 

tea  leaves.  Tests  vary  as  much  as  brands.  A 
safe  and  easy  one  is  to  infuse  a  pinch  of  tea 
one  minute  in  boihng  water,  pour  off  one  half, 
and  let  the  other  half  stand,  keeping  at  almost 
boiling  heat  for  ten  minutes.  Pour  off  and 
compare  in  smell  and  taste  with  the  first. 
Artificial  color,  if  present,  will  show  as  dregs  in 
the  long  steeping  and  reveal  itself  further  in  a 
faint  metaUic  taste.  Various  copper  salts  are 
the  commonest  coloring  matters,  and,  though 
the  quantities  are  too  small  to  be  immediately 
dangerous,  constant  use  may  develop  stomach 
trouble.  Tea  is  best  kept  air-tight,  dark,  dry, 
and  warm. 

Butter:  Beware  butter  too  yellow,  espe- 
cially if  winter  -  packed.  Butter  colors  are 
harmless  in  the  main,  but  some  constitutions 
are  intolerant  of  them.  Look  for  firm  texture 
slightly  grained  and  a  lively,  agreeable  smell. 
A  sour  smell  and  white  specks  show  something 
to  let  alone.  Keep  tightly  covered,  dark,  and 
cool,  away  from  any  possibility  of  taints. 

Lard:  If  you  do  not  know,  experimentally, 
good  fresh  lard,  get  loaf  fat,  try  it  out,  taking 


134  HOUSEHOLD  HANDBOOK 

care  not  to  scorch  it,  and  use  the  product  as  a 
standard.  Lard  must  be  firm,  but  not  hard, 
even-textured  throughout,  and  with  almost  no 
smell.  Your  nose,  if  permitted,  will  tell  you 
if  it  is  either  scorched  or  rancid — the  two  un- 
pardonable faults.  From  grain-fed  pork  it  is 
clear  white,  with  now  and  then  a  faint  cream 
tinge.  Keep  in  glass  or  bright  tin,  tightl}'' 
closed,  where  it  is  cool  and  dark. 

Cheese:  As  to  choice  of  cheese  one  cannot 
dogmatize;  so  much  depends  on  individual 
palates.  Get  the  best  you  can  afford  of  your 
chosen  sort.  Good  cheese  cuts  grainy  rather 
than  waxy — it  is  not  too  greasy,  reasonably 
solid,  and  free,  of  course,  of  mites  or  weevil. 
Cut  a  section  from  a  whole  cheese,  then  butter 
well  the  cut  surfaces,  cover  with  wax  paper,  and 
keep  dark,  dry,  and  cool.  Wrap  the  cut-out 
section  in  wax  paper  likewise,  and  keep  in  a 
covered  crock  for  daily  use.  Keep  fancy, 
strong-smelhng  cheeses  well  wrapped  in  tin- 
foil, then  in  wax  paper,  and  laid  inside  a  covered 
crock,  set  in  a  cool  place. 

Beef:    Prime  beef  comes  only  from  well- 


o 


FOOD:   CHOOSING    AND    KEEPING     135 

fatted  animals,  neither  too  young  nor  too  old. 
Fat  and  suet  are  white,  inclining  faintly  to 
cream;  lean  a  dark,  healthy  red,  which  becomes 
brighter  by  hanging.  Very  yellow  fat  and 
scarlet  lean  indicate  a  condition  below  first 
class.  The  meat  should  not  cut  dry  when 
raw,  but  neither  should  liquid  follow  the 
cleaver. 

Mutton  and  Lamb:  The  fat  over  the  ribs 
is  the  best  index  of  quality;  if  it  is  half  an  inch 
or  more,  the  animal  was  thriving.  The  fat 
should  be  white  with  hardly  a  trace  of  yellow, 
the  lean  a  fine  purply  red,  not  too  deep.  Follow 
your  nose  in  buying  all  manner  of  butcher's 
stuff,  remembering  cooking  will  never  work  the 
miracle  of  making  sound  the  unsound.  Good 
spring  lamb  has  very  white  fat,  with  lean  in- 
clining to  pinkish  red.  If  the  rib  fat  covers  the 
whole  surface,  all  is  welU  The  caul  fat  should 
be  in  lumps  as  big  as  the  finger  end.  A  strong 
sheepy  smell  of  either  lamb  or  mutton  shows 
animals  badly  dressed,  or,  in  case  of  mutton, 
too  old.  Press  a  bare  finger  hard  upon  the 
outer  surface;   if  the  meat  feels  grainy  there 


136  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

has  probably  been  treatment  with  some  pre- 
servative. 

Pork:  Clear  white  fat  and  lean  of  a  lively 
pink-red  show  perfect  pork.  It  cannot  well  be 
too  fat,  yet  if  there  are  lumps  or  inflamed  spots 
in  the  kidney  fat,  let  it  alone.  Press  hard  on 
the  skin;  it  should  be  elastic,  and  be  sure  there 
is  only  a  fleshy  smell.  Sniff  the  big  joints — 
spoiling  begins  there.  Sniff  sausage  likewise, 
and  reject  if  too  highly  seasoned.  The  season- 
ing may  disguise  less  pleasant  smells.  It 
should  be  red  and  white  speckled,  the  color 
predominant;  five  pounds  of  lean  to  three  of 
fat  is  the  best  proportion. 

Salt  Meats:  Streaky  bacon  should  have 
white  fat  and  dark-red  lean — yellow  fat  is 
undesirable.  It  must  smell  lightly  of  smoke 
and  have  also  a  tang  of  salt.  Salt  pork  must 
be  very  white  and  firm,  the  lean  of  it  showing 
a  dull-pale  red.  Hams  must  have  white  fat, 
thick  and  firm,  and  lean  of  a  rich,  clear  red  just 
the  least  inclined  to  purple.  Look  close  around 
the  bone;  if  the  fat  there  is  white  and  firm  the 
ham  is  all  right,     It  must,  of  course,  have  been 


FOOD:   CHOOSING   AND    KEEPING     137 

well  smoked.  But  too  thick  smoke,  shown  by  a 
black-brown  color,  is  undesirable.  Corned  beef 
should  be  clear  red,  firm,  and  clean-smelling. 
Dried  beef  should  have  a  firm,  dark  outside 
and  be  a  dark,  clear  red  within.  If  it  shaves 
to  slivers  partly  transparent,  it  is  very  nearly 
perfect. 

Poultry :  All  poultry  save  capons  can  be  too 
fat.  But  it  had  better  be  too  fat  than  too  lean. 
Choose  light-colored  fat  and  firm  pinky-white 
flesh.  See  that  combs  are  fresh-colored,  leg 
joints  flexible,  and  skin  soft.  Much  hard,  deep- 
yellow  fat  indicates  age.  Milk-fed  poultry, 
so  called,  is  mainly  so  called — it  may  have  got 
milk,  but  much  else  went  with  it.  With  ducks 
and  geese,  pull  open  the  eyelids ;  if  the  eyes  are 
filmed  the  birds  are  likely  to  have  been  killed 
too  long.  Freezing  injures  the  quality  of 
poultry.  Dry-picked  poultry  is  much  more 
desirable  than  that  which  is  scalded.  To  test 
for  age  look  at  the  legs — scaliness  is  a  sure 
mark  of  age.  Press  hard  upon  the  breast  bone; 
in  a  young  fowl  it  bends  a  little,  in  an  old 
one  it  is  rigid, 


138  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

Keeping  Fresh  Meat  and  Poultry:  Never 
put  meat  or  i)oultry  in  contact  with  ice, 
neither  lay  them  flat  in  dish  or  pan.  Put  a 
rack  under  the  meat,  then  set  the  pan  in  the 
refrigerator,  first  wiping  the  meat  with  a  damp 
(not  wet)  cloth.  This  until  cooking -time. 
Things  to  be  kept  several  days  should  be  well 
wiped,  laid  on  waterproof  paper,  have  lumps 
of  charcoal  put  round  and  about,  then  wrapped, 
tied,  put  in  cheese-cloth  bags,  and  hung  where 
it  is  cool  and  airy.  Lacking  such  hanging 
space,  lay  them  on  racks  close  to  ice. 

Salt  Fish:  Keep  salt  fish,  whether  dry  or  in 
brine,  well  away  from  all  else.  A  good  place 
for  them  is  a  big  box  with  a  tight  cover,  the 
cracks  filled  inside  with  putty  and  covered  out- 
side with  paper.  Put  a  shelf  across  for  boxes 
and  cartons;  stand  kits  on  the  floor.  Hinge 
on  the  top  as  a  door,  and  fasten  with  hook  and 
staple.  Set  the  box  on  short  legs,  else  put 
bricks  under  the  corners. 

Things  in  Glass:  Glass  jars,  whether  of 
preserves,  fruit,  or  vegetables,  had  better  be 
wrapped  in  paper,  held  on  by  a  rubber  band,  and 


FOOD:    CHOOSING    AND    KEEPING      139 

sot  so  as  not  to  touch.  They  should  be  kept 
where  it  is  dark,  dry,  clean,  and  cool,  on  slat 
shelves  or  plank  ones  bored  full  of  half-inch 
holes.  Light,  through  its  weird  actinic  rays, 
plays  hoi)  with  flavors,  and  may  even  induce 
worse  things.  Yet  jellies  set  in  full  sunlight 
for,  say,  ten  days  gain  a  richer  texture  and  keep 
better  ever  after. 

Fruit  and  Vegetable  Storage:  With  a 
cool,  dry,  airy  cellar  have  movable  bins  of 
slats  with  firm,  low  legs,  whitewashed  yearly 
inside  and  out.  Store  in  them  apples,  potatoes, 
sweet  and  Irish,  turnips,  carrots,  beets,  what 
not.  Lay  grapes,  choosing  perfect  bunches 
only,  upon  swinging  slat  shelves  and  cover  with 
cheese  cloth.  In  a  temperature  around  forty 
degrees  there  will  l)o  no  rotting  nor  drying  up, 
provided  only  sound  things  have  been  brought 
in. 

Canning  Things:  The  secret  of  success  in 
canning  things  is  perfect  sterilization.  Do  the 
work  if  possible  in  bright,  windy  weather,  out 
doors  if  3^ou  can;  if  not,  in  a  kitchen  very  clean 
and  well  aired.     Bring  into  it  no  specked  or 


140  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

rotten  things — decay  is  a  ferment  the  same  as 
yeast,  and  spores  of  it  spread  through  the  air. 
It  is  better  to  prepare  things  outside.  Drop 
apples,  pears,  or  peaches  in  water  as  pared  or 
hulled,  and  keep  them  covered  until  ready  to 
cook.  Have  two  kettles  of  syrup,  one  bubbling, 
the  other  barely  simmering.  Have  a  boiler 
of  boiling  water  for  the  jars.  Empty  a  jar  just 
at  the  moment  of  using,  fill  it  running  over 
with  boiling -hot  fruit  and  seal  instantly. 
The  simmering  -  kettle  is  for  filling  up  the 
other.  Keep  the  bubbling-kettle  filled  with 
syrup  to  capacity,  drop  in  barely  fruit 
enough  to  fill  a  jar,  cook  for  five  minutes, 
then  seal.  A  few  cloves  and  a  blade  of 
mace  in  the  top  of  each  can  improve  flavor. 
Use  at  least  half  weight  of  sugar  to  fruit— 
three-fifths  is  better.  Invert  after  sealing  and 
screw  tops  harder  when  cool.  If  a  can  leaks, 
empty  it,  reheat,  fill,  and  seal  securely.  Set  hot 
jars  away  from  draughts  until  cool.  Remem- 
ber, though,  the  fruit  which  comes  out  of  your 
cans  will  be  just  as  good  and  no  better  than 
what  went  into  them,     Therefore  gpend  your 


FOOD:    CHOOSING    AND    KEEPING      141 

time  and  .strt'iigth  only  on  good  fruit,  ripe,  but 
not  over-ripe. 

Outdoor  Pantries:  Save  in  the  very  hottest 
weather  edibles,  cooked  or  raw,  keep  better  in 
fresh  air  than  in  a  refrigerator.  An  outdoor 
pantry  can  be  set  on  a  back  porch  or  on  legs 
in  a  shady  yard,  or  even  made  fast  to  the  wall. 
A  goods  box,  whitewashed,  set  firmly  about 
waist  high,  furnished  with  shelves  inside  and 
a  door  of  screen  wire,  will  hold  meat,  milk, 
cakes,  pies,  bread,  surplus  fruit,  raw  or  cooked, 
and  keep  them  to  the  queen's  taste.  Have 
clean  bags  with  drawstrings  to  slip  over  dishes 
of  meat,  as  hams,  roasts,  a  fowl  in  wait  for 
Sunday  dinner.  Lay  raw  meat  upon  lumps 
of  charcoal,  put  other  lumps  over  it,  and  wrap 
tight  in  clean  cloth,  then  lay  upon  a  rack  or 
slat  shelf.  Put  milk  in  a  bright  tin  bucket 
with  a  tight  cover,  stand  it  in  a  pan,  put  in 
half  inch  of  water,  then  wrap  the  milk  bucket 
with  a  thick  cloth,  letting  it  touch  the  water. 
It  will  keep  damp  and,  by  evaporation,  cool 
the  milk. 

Where  ice  is  hard  to  get  have  holes  made 


142  HOUSEHOLD  HANDBOOK 

with  a  post-hole  digger,  a  foot  across  and  four 
feet  deep.  Fit  stout  wooden  tops  to  them  big 
enough  to  lap  an  inch  all  round.  Put  a  handle 
on  firmly  and  screw  a  stout  hook  in  the  middle 
underneath.  Suspend  things  from  this  hook 
by  a  cord  or  light  chain,  as  a  bucket  of  milk, 
or  butter,  a  bottle  of  wine,  water,  or  grape 
juice,  or  a  bag  of  fruit.  Fresh  meat  even  can 
be  kept  several  days,  of  course  wrapping  it  well 
before  hanging  it.  Rain  ruins  this  form  of  cold 
storage,  but  for  camps,  summer  bungalows,  and 
so  on  it  is  a  very  present  help. 

A  greater  one  is  a  dry  well  either  rock- 
walled  or  planked  up.  Have  it  seven  to  eight 
feet  deep,  wide  enough  for  a  ladder,  and  set 
shelves  around  the  edge.  Or  it  may  be  simply 
dug,  covered,  and  things  let  down  into  it  at 
the  end  of  strings.  An  abandoned  w(^ll  or 
cistern  comes  in  handy  for  sucsh  use.  If  deep 
and  dry,  whole  carcasses  as  of  lambs,  sheep, 
pigs,  or  deer  can  be  hung  and  kept  safe. 

Dried  Fruit:  Keep  sun-dried  fruit  in  a 
warm,  airy  place,  sunning  it  often.  Look  it 
over  for  worms,  throw  out  infested  bits,  scald 


FOOD:   CHOOSING    AND    KEEPING     143 

the  residue  one  minute  in  full  boiling  water, 
spread  thin,  and  dry  in  the  oven.  In  a  long 
damp  spell  l)ring  dried  fruit  into  the  kitchen 
and  hang  where  heat  will  strike  it,  but  away 
from  steam.  All  this  applies  equally  to  sun- 
dried  vegetables,  such  as  corn,  okra,  and  green 
peas,  likewise  to  beans  and  peas  full  grown. 

Keeping  Rich  Cake:  Plum  cake,  spice 
cake,  or  iced  pound  cake  keep  a  long  time 
treated  thus:  Pour  a  teaspoonful  of  brandy 
upon  the  under  side,  let  it  soak  in,  then  wrap 
the  whole  loaf  in  a  clean  cloth  and  sprinkle 
with  brandy.  Put  into  an  earthen  crock  with 
a  tight  cover,  lay  a  fresh  apple  on  top,  and 
keep  shut.  Once  a  week  set  the  crock  upon 
a  cooling  range  until  warm  through,  removing 
the  apple  while  warming.  Put  in  a  fresh  apple 
every  fortnight,  and  renew  the  brandy  treat- 
ment at  the  same  time.  Plum  cake  almost  de- 
mands this  keeping,  being  better  for  a  year  of 
it.  Other  cakes  should  not  be  kept  over  six 
months. 

Keeping  Melons  for  Christmas:  Plant 
melons  so  they  will  ripen  a  little  before  frost. 


144  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Build  a  rail  pen,  floor  it  two  feet  above  ground, 
and  lay  on  the  floor  a  foot  of  corn  stalks  well 
packed.  Stand  other  stalks  about  the  edge, 
then  fill  in  a  foot  of  fresh  corn  husks.  Bed  in 
these  the  melons,  cut  each  with  a  short  length 
of  vine,  and  the  vine  ends  dipped  in  melted 
paraffine.  Wrap  the  melons  in  tissue  paper, 
take  care  not  to  let  them  touch  nor  lie  too  close 
to  the  stalk  wall.  Cover  with  another  foot  of 
husks,  packed  down  firmly,  but  not  rammed. 
Over  these  put  more  corn  stalks,  filling  the 
pen  with  them.  Lay  on  a  slanted  roof  of 
boards,  weighting  them  in  place. 

Fresh  Eggs:  A  strictly  fresh  egg  has  a  tiny 
air  space  at  either  end  betwixt  shell  and  lining. 
Lying  makes  the  air  bubbles  rise  and  join.  A 
fresh  egg  sinks  in  water  end  down,  one  less  fresh 
commonly  lies  on  its  side.  Break  an  egg, 
empty  the  shell,  look  in  the  ends;  if  the  spaces 
are  lacking  it  is  not  fresh.  Or  boil  hard — a 
fresh  yolk  will  have  white  evenly  all  round. 
After  some  days  the  yolk  will  be  near  the  shell 
or  pressing  against  it. 


IX 

HOUSE    PLANTS,   WINDOW   BOXES,   CUT 

FLOWERS 

Soil:  Soil  for  pots  and  boxes  must  be  very 
rich  and  light.  Mix  it  of  one  -  half  well- 
rotted  animal  manure,  one-quarter  leaf  mold 
or  rotted  sods,  and  one-quarter  good  loam. 
If  the  loam  is  heavy  clay  make  it  one-half 
clean  sand.  Heap  and  keep  under  cover, 
away  from  sun-baking  and  the  leaching  of  rain. 
Sift  for  use.  Sprinkle  now  and  again  to  keep 
it  moist. 

Pots:  Use  clean  pots  and  sound.  Breakup 
cracked  ones  for  drainage.  Wash  pots  as  soon 
as  empty,  stack,  and  stand  in  air.  Wash  again 
before  using,  dry,  then  wipe  over  outside  with 
a  cloth  wet  in  copperas  water.  This  to  prevent 
the  annoying  green  scum.  Repeat  the  wiping 
over  with  copperas  water  about  once  a  month. 


146  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Keep  pot  surfaces  clean — their  dull  red,  so 
kept,  is  more  artistic  than  any  jardiniere. 
Further,  it  makes  for  plant  health — a  clean  pot 
admits  air  to  the  roots. 

Window  Boxes:  Window  boxes  must  be 
well  drained.  If  set  outside  it  is  imperative 
that  they  be  made  fast.  Lacking  regular 
window  guards,  use  hooks  and  staples.  Paint 
wooden  boxes  dull  green  outside  and  white 
inside.  Choose  tile  ones  to  harmonize  with 
walls  and  windows.  Have  uniform  boxes  for 
a  row  of  windows — this  applies  equally  to 
boxes  proper  and  what  grows  in  them.  Indoor 
boxes  should  have  zinc  trays  fitted  to  them, 
with  strips  laid  across  to  insure  drainage. 

Potting :  Pots  must  be  proportioned  to  their 
contents.  A  hyacinth  bulb  will  thrive  in  a 
four-inch  pot.  A  clump  of  three  will  grow  in 
a  six-inch  one;  it  should  be  shallow.  A  shallow 
eight-inch  pot  will  hold  a  dozen  tulips  or 
Roman  hyacinths  or  two  dozen  crocuses. 
Broad  pots,  rather  shallow,  are  best  for  all 
manner  of  bulbs  save  the  tall-growing  lilies, 
such  as  the  Amaryllis  family,  Auratum,  and 


HOUSE    PLANTS  147 

Easter  lilies.  Plant  rooted  cuttings  in  two- 
inch  pots,  shifting  them  as  they  grow.  Over- 
potting  is  a  drawback,  especially  with  flowering 
things.  Do  not  shift  until  the  pot  is  filled 
with  roots — test  for  that  by  turning  out — and 
shift  to  the  next  size.  Seasonal  bull)s  rarely 
require  shifting,  but  those  kept  year  in  and  out 
must  be  separated  from  their  offsets  and  given 
fresh  earth.  In  shifting  put  an  inch  of  broken 
pot  in  first,  arranging  a  big  bit  over  the  hole, 
fill  in  a  little  earth,  then  set  the  plant  upon  it; 
the  ball  at  its  root  should  come  within  an  inch 
of  the  top.  Hold  it  plumb  and  fill  in  sifted 
earth  about  it,  shaking  the  pot  gently  after 
each  handful.  Shake  hard  when  the  pot  is 
full;  fill  in  chinks  around  the  edge  and  put  a 
little  fresh  earth  on  top,  then  water  freely  but 
without  splashing.  Let  it  drain  and  set  in 
place.  Always  have  something  underneath  to 
catch  the  drip.  Glazed  ware  is  better  than  the 
clay  saucers — they  make  damp  spots. 

Plant  bulbs  their  o^vn  depth  in  earth  except 
the  finer  lilies.     Set  them  only  a  little  way  in 

earth.     It  is  safer  to  make  a  little  hole  in  the 
11 


148  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

earth,  put  in  a  handful  of  clean  sand,  and  bed 
the  bulb  in  the  sand.  Keep  very  wet — sand 
will  not  rot  the  bulb  surface.  Fill  up  "vvath  soil 
an  inch  higher,  but  keep  it  away  from  the  bulb 
with  a  sand  blanket,  and  put  a  very  thin  layer 
of  sand  on  top.  Plant  ordinary  bulbs  in  suc- 
cession from  September  to  December,  keep 
damp  and  dark  for  some  weeks  to  insure  root 
growth,  then  bring  to  light,  water,  and  fertilize, 
turning  every  three  days  to  make  symmet- 
rical. 

Plant  Choice:  No  plant  will  live  long  with- 
out light — few  will  thrive  without  more  or  less 
sunlight.  The  green-and- white  Aspidastra  is 
the  hardiest  in  this  respect.  Plants  used  for 
interior  decoration  must  be  often  shifted,  set 
in  light,  fertilized,  and  bathed  till  thrifty,  while 
others  in  good  condition  take  their  places. 
Weekly  changes  will  maintain  a  proper  effect. 
Palms  and  ferns  are  most  satisfactory  for  such 
uses;  flowering  things  get  ragged  very  quickly. 
Begonias  carefulh^  tended  and  not  allowed  to 
dry  out  nor  get  hot  make  a  brave  showing. 
So  do  wax-leafed  woody  things — dwarf  orange 


HOUSE    PLANTS  149 

and  lemon  trees,  rubber  trees,  dwarf  evergreens 
and  box  trees. 

Plants  for  a  North  Light:  Fuschia  stands 
pre-eminent,  next  to  tliat  thrifty  ferns,  ivy  of 
both  sorts,  dwarf  evergreens,  spiderwort,  money- 
wort, and  trailing  box  vine.  An  hour  or  two 
of  sunlight  will  suffice  for  all  these,  other  condi- 
tions to  their  mind;  also,  in  their  season,  for 
pansies,  violets,  and  the  dwarf  Japanese  morn- 
ing glories  so  wonderful  in  color  and  texture. 

Fining  Window  Boxes:  Make  fast,  put  a 
layer  of  broken  pot  over  the  bottom,  upon  that 
a  very  thin  layer  of  excelsior.  Cover  two 
inches  deep  with  fine  earth,  then  arrange  roots 
of  your  trailers  along  the  outer  edge  and  bank 
up  with  more  earth.  Next  put  in  the  plants, 
crowding  them  rather  thickly,  pack  earth 
around  and  about  them,  water  freely,  make 
sure  all  plants  stand  straight,  then  shower 
plentifully,  using  a  fine  sprinkler.  Water 
every  day — twice  daily  in  very  hot  weather — 
shower  every  other  day,  and  fertilize  cnce  a 
week.  This  if  the  plants  thrive.  If  they  turn 
a  sickly  yellow,  starve  a  bit,  after  watering 


150  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

plentifully  with  water  a  little  too  hot  to  bear 
your  hand  in. 

Choice  of  Window  Plants:  Flowering 
geraniums  deserve  first  place  for  a  season's 
bloom.  White  and  pink  ones  smothered  in 
green  look  better  against  a  red  brick  wall  than 
scarlet  or  crimson.  But  scarlet  and  white,  or 
scarlet  and  crimson  with  feathery  green,  such 
as  asparagus  sprengeri,  are  beautiful  against 
white  walls,  brown  or  buff  ones,  or  any  sort  of 
stone.  Pansies  with  alyssum  edges  are  lovely 
while  the}^  last.  Choose  them  for  early  spring, 
putting  in  geraniums  or  primroses  later. 
Potted  bulbs  show  beautifully  in  window 
boxes  with  edges  of  trailing  green.  Rose 
geraniums  in  window  boxes  help  to  drive  away 
flies.  Piazza  boxes  in  midsummer  have  noth- 
ing more  effective  than  the  savage  splendors  of 
gladioli.  Plant  in  double  row,  starting  the 
bulbs  in  pots  and  setting  out  when  a  foot  high. 
Nasturtiums  also  make  a  splendid  show.  So 
do  all  the  tribe  of  begonia,  provided  the  sun  is 
not  too  hot.  Morning  and  evening  rays  suit 
them. 


HOUSE    PLANTS  ir,l 

Palms  and  Ferns:  Small  thrifty  plants 
need  to  be  shifted  yearly.  After  they  reach  a 
good  size  do  not  shift,  fertilize  instead.  Keep 
pot  surfaces  clean,  set  at  least  a  foot  above  the 
floor,  water  plentifully  and  regularly,  but  do 
not  let  it  stand  at  the  roots.  Sprinkle  or  wipe 
with  a  damp  cloth  weekly,  and  monthly  give  a 
plunge  bath  in  your  own  bath  water.  Let 
stand  till  barely  tepid,  then  tie  a  cloth  over  the 
earth,  and  lay  your  plant  on  its  side  in  the  tub. 
Splash  and  scrub  well,  set  upright,  drain  off 
water,  and  shower  well  with  clear,  clean  water. 
Bathing  thus  is  the  best  insurance  of  health 
and  a  protection  against  the  depredations  of 
every  sort  of  pest. 

Roses  and  Woody  Things  in  General: 
Only  a  very  few  roses  are  adapted  to  house 
culture  unless  there  is  a  greenhouse  for  their 
refreshing.  The  catalogues  name  them.  Get 
vigorous  year-old  plants  and  bake  the  earth 
for  planting  them  at  least  an  hour  in  a  moderate 
oven.  This  to  insure  against  the  beetle  which 
lives  in  earth  and  has  no  other  cure  than  pre- 
vention.    Make  the  earth  very  fine,   sift  it 


152  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

lightly  through  the  roots,  water  well,  put  on 
more  earth,  wet  it,  fill  up  the  pot,  drench,  drain, 
and  set  in  light,  but  away  from  sunlight,  for 
several  days.  Pinch  off  any  flower  buds,  also 
new  ones  appearing  before  the  rose  is  well 
established.  After  thrifty  growth  sets  in  let 
bloom,  but  not  overbloom.  Pinch  off  all  but 
the  most  promising  buds.  Water  with  tepid 
suds  weekly.  In  between  give  liquid  manure. 
Make  it  strong — roses  are  gross  feeders.  Bathe 
often,  keep  warm  and  in  light,  turning  every 
other  day.  The  many-flowered  roses  sold 
around  the  holidays  are  good  for  nothing  but 
to  be  set  out  in  the  border  after  their  bloom  is 
past. 

Fuchsias,  azaleas,  lemon  verbenas,  the 
spireas,  and  genesta  require  much  the  same 
care.  Fuchsias,  as  has  been  said,  do  not  de- 
mand full  sun.  Also  they  like  a  moderate 
temperature.  The  others  thrive  in  heat  and 
light.  So  do  camellias  and  gardenias.  These, 
however,  are  apt  to  disappoint  anybody  with- 
out a  genius  for  growing  things.  Rubber  trees 
too  big  for  the  plunge  bath  must  have  their 


HOUSE    PLANTS  ir.3 

leaves  well  wiped  with  white  soapsuds,  then 
with  clear  water.  Tall  palms  demand  the  same 
care.  All  plants  need  a  moist  atmosphere,  so 
keep  water  on  radiators  and  wet  sponges  over 
registers.  This  is  as  good  for  people  as  for 
plants. 

Fertilizers  and  Fertilizing:  Liquid  ma- 
nure is  an  ideal  fertilizer  so  far  as  concerns  the 
plants  themselves.  It  has  the  drawback  of 
a  bad  odor.  To  use  it  set  the  plants  outdoors, 
give  in  sufficient  quantity,  let  soak  in,  then 
water  well  with  warm  water  and  leave  to  air 
some  hours.  To  make,  put  well-rotted  manure 
in  something  tight,  pour  boiling  water  upon  it, 
stir  well,  and  let  stand.  Stir  again  before  dip- 
ping out — it  should  be  as  thick  as  cream. 
After  using  it  on  window  boxes  close  the 
windows  until  the  smell  is  gone.  Things  too 
big  to  move  can  be  fertilized  and  the  windows 
left  open,  closing  doors — so  fertilize  in  mild 
weather.  The  odor  will  pass  in  two  hours  if 
the  tepid  watering  has  been  thorough. 

Many  good  commercial  fertilizers  are  almost 
or  quite  odorless — ammoniated  bone  meal,  for 


154      ^         HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

example.  There  is  also  a  fertilizer  in  lozenge 
form  which  is  scentless  and  wonderfully  effec- 
tive. Dissolve  a  lozenge  in  boiling  water,  let 
stand  all  night,  then  stir  well  and  apply.  Give 
a  teacup — the  same  as  of  liquid  manure — to  a 
ten-inch  pot,  a  tablespoonful  to  a  four-inch 
one,  and  half  that  to  a  thumb  pot.  A  quart 
will  be  none  too  much  for  a  three-foot  window 
box  filled  with  soft-stemmed  plants.  They 
demand  more  than  woody  plants.  Over- 
fertilizing  is  bad — it  turns  leaves  yellow  and 
scants  bloom.  Plants  suffer  indigestion  the 
same  as  people.  The  remedy  for  it  is  to  set 
them  in  a  sink  or  on  a  grating  and  pour  hot  (not 
boiling)  water  through  the  pot  until  it  runs  out 
clear. 

Insects  and  Insecticides:  Insects  are  the 
pest  of  house  plants.  The  worst  of  them  are 
plant  lice,  mealy  bugs,  white  and  black  fxies, 
red  spider,  and  the  various  scales.  All  are 
fought  with  pretty  much  the  same  weapons — 
namely,  soap  and  water,  smoke,  and  eternal 
vigilance.  Greenhouses  and  hothouses  are  al- 
most universally  infested.     Hence  every  new 


HOUSE    PLANTS  155 

plant  must  be  suspected.  Do  not  set  it  among 
other  plants  clean  and  thrifty  for  at  least  a 
fortnight,  and  then  only  after  a  thorough  bath. 
A  plant  batlly  infested  had  better  be  thrown 
away,  and  quickly.  Flies  white  and  Hack  are 
hardest  to  fight;  they  fiy  away  at  a  touch  on 
the  pot.  Set  the  infested  plant  apart,  with  a 
stick  standing  higher  than  itself  fast  in  earth, 
throw  a  thin  cloth  over,  letting  it  reach  the 
ground  all  around,  then  slip  under  it  a  lighted 
smudge,  and  set  over  cloth  and  plant  either  a 
box  or  a  barrel,  with  paper  pasted  over  the 
cracks.  Let  stand  two  hours,  then  plunge  in  a 
tepid  bath,  keeping  on  the  cloth  until  well 
under  water.  This  to  hold  in  any  flies  left 
living.  Splash  well,  drain,  and  while  damp 
dust  with  either  insect  powder  or  finely 
crumbled  tobacco,  putting  it  on  both  sides  of 
the  leaves. 

For  plant  lice  spray  thickly  with  strong  to- 
bacco water,  leave  an  hour,  then  bathe,  and 
dust  with  more  tobacco.  A  little  flowers  of 
sulphur  mixed  in  makes  the  treatment  more 
effectual.     Bathe    in    suds    (carbolic    soap,  if 


156  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

possible)  next  day,  and  follow  with  a  clear 
tepid  shower. 

Red  spider  is  invisible  until  it  appears  as  red 
blotches  upon  foliage.  Water,  and  still  more 
water,  combined  with  smoking  cures  it. 
Shower  infested  plants  heavily  every  day  for  a 
fortnight,  smoke  with  tobacco  twice  a  week,  and 
keep  well  dusted  with  either  tobacco  or  py- 
rethrum  powder.  Mealy  bugs,  which  are  white 
and  woolly,  as  big  as  grains  of  wheat,  should 
have  a  sulphur  dusting  after  smoking  and 
bathing.  All  the  big  scales,  which  are  never 
very  numerous  unless  plants  are  fatally 
neglected,  should  be  hand-picked,  then  the 
plant  well  washed  with  whale  -  oil  soapsuds 
dashed  with  carbolic  acid.  San  Jose  scale, 
which  is  almost  invisible  but  feels  like  fine 
rough  sand  upon  the  under  sides  of  leaves  and 
over  stalks,  is  so  deadly  and  difficult  any  plant 
found  infested  should  be  burned  at  once,  the 
pot  broken,  and  the  earth  soaked  with  boiling 
water.  Cures  for  it  there  are,  but  too  difficult 
for  amateurs,  withal  somewhat  dangerous. 

Buy    tobacco    dust,  make    tobacco    water. 


HOUSE    PLANTS  157 

Pour  a  gallon  of  boiling  water  upon  a  pound  of 
tobacco  stems,  let  stand  a  day,  keeping  warm, 
strain  and  use.  Cut  the  spent  stems  fine  and 
mix  through  potting  soil.  Enough  tobacco 
water  to  color  it  mixed  in  makes  a  plunge  bath 
more  effective  against  insects.  ]Make  smudges 
thus:  put  a  few  slivers  of  wood  or  h/ilf  a  dozen 
matches  crossed  in  a  small  flat  tin,  cover  with 
either  pyrethrum  powder,  tobacco  dust,  cut 
up  stalks,  unspent,  or  flowers  of  sulphur  mixed 
with  fine  damp  sawdust.  I^ight,  see  that  there 
is  not  too  much  blaze,  and  set  beneath  plants. 
Do  not  make  smudges  big  enough  to  give  out 
scalding  heat;  better  two  or  three  small  ones 
if  heavy  smoke  is  required. 

Red  rust  and  brown  scale,  the  special  enemies 
of  palms,  need  to  be  washed  off  with  strong 
carbolic  soapsuds  and  a  soft  brush  before  bath- 
ing and  smoking. 

Earth  Worms:  Lime  water  is  the  remedy 
for  earth  worms.  Stick  holes  in  the  earth 
quite  to  the  bottom,  then  pour  on  clear  lime 
water  (see  section  Renovators)  till  it  stands  on 
top.     The  worms  will  crawl  up  to  escape  it. 


158  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Lime  water  is  also  good  to  sweeten  sour  earth. 
Give  a  half  cup  after  the  hot-water  treatment. 
Dig  up  the  earth  in  pots  so  as  to  keep  a  Hght, 
clean  surface.  Green  scum,  while  not  dan- 
gerous, does  not  make  for  plant  health. 

For  Roaches,  dip  cut  potatoes  in  arsenic 
mixed  with  sugar  and  lay  cut  side  down  on  the 
pots  and  about  them.  Gather  up  every  morn- 
ing, dropping  instantly-  into  a  vessel  of  boiling 
water — this  to  destroy  such  insects  as  remain 
alive.  But  never  put  out  poison  if  there  are 
children  in  the  house. 

Cuttings :  Cuttings  root  best  in  clean  sand, 
kept  very  wet  and  warm  and  under  glass. 
Make  the  cuttings  of  new  wood,  neither  soft 
nor  fully  ripe.  Cut  with  at  least  two  eyes — 
three  are  better — slant  cuts,  and  set  in  sand 
slantwise,  with  one  eye  above  the  surface. 
Shift  as  soon  as  growth  begins  fully  to  thumb 
pots,  and  keep  the  pots  plunged  in  another  box 
of  sand.  Make  geranium  cuttings,  whether 
scented  or  flowering,  of  healthy  stalks  full  of 
sap  and  vigor.  June  is  the  best  time  to  make 
cuttings  of  lemon  verbena,  fuchsia,  heliotrope, 


HOUSE   PLANTS  159 

and  roses.  Tips  of  strong  shoots  from  cither 
fuchsia  or  heliotrope  will  root  then  almost  for 
the  chance.  Chrysanthemums  from  cuttings 
of  the  flower  stalk  give  much  finer  bloom  than 
those  from  old  roots. 

Leaf  cuttings  are  interesting.  Tuberous 
begonias  root  thus  readily.  Roses  are  more 
difficult.  Peg  down  the  leaf  on  wet  sand  under 
glass,  make  tiny  cuts  in  it,  and  keep  very  wet 
in  sunshine.  Roots  will  strike  from  the  cuts 
after  they  have  calloused. 

Summing  up,  the  needs  of  a  house  plant  arc 
the  same  as  those  of  a  human  being — air,  light, 
food,  water,  cleanliness,  and  love. 

Cut  Flowers:  Cut  flowers  early  in  the 
morning,  stand  loosely  upright  in  clean  water 
away  from  light  until  they  can  be  arranged. 
In  hot  weather  sprinkle  lightly  if  arranging 
must  wait,  and  cover  with  a  light  cloth. 
Florist  blossoms  must  be  kept  cool  and  damp; 
stand  the  holder  in  the  bathtub,  draw  three 
inches  of  cold  water,  and  spread  something 
over  them. 

In  arranging  do  not  mix  nor  crowd.     Tulips 


160  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

with  only  their  own  stalks  and  leaves  are 
wonderfully  decorative,  but  a  single  other 
bloom  makes  them  blotchy.  No  green  save 
the  feathericst  asparagus  fern  should  ever  go 
with  flowers  which  have  handsome  foliage. 
Lay  fern  fronds  upon  the  cloth  rather  than  dis- 
figure with  them  a  centerpiece  of  roses.  Tall, 
stiff  stems,  as  jonquils,  narcissi,  and  lilies, 
absolutely  require  tall,  slender  holders.  So  do 
long-stemmed  roses,  especially  the  cloth-yard 
American  Beauties.  It  is  vandalism  to  put 
anything  with  them.  Carnations  bear  mass- 
ing, but  the  vase  should  have  space  about  it. 
Lilies  lose  immeasurably  by  crowding.  A 
single  handsome  tall  stalk  gives  distinction, 
where  three  or  four  imperfect  ones  huddled 
would  be  commonplace. 

Half  a  dozen  roses  with  fine  foliage  ^ill  make 
a  handsome  centerpiece  thus:  put  into  a  low, 
flat  bowl,  rather  flaring,  a  woven- wire  cake 
rack  nearly  the  same  size.  Cut  stalks,  if  long, 
to  six  inches.  Use  the  cut-off  stems  to  mat 
through  the  woven  wire.  Cover  well  with 
cold  water,  then  arrange  the  flowers  so  each 


HOUSE    PLANTS  161 

will  show  for  itself,  thrusting  the  stems  between 
the  wires  at  the  proper  angle.  A  wreath  of 
asparagus  forn  laid  on  the  cloth  outside  adds 
much  more  to  the  effect  than  if  the  green  were 
twined  among  the  flowers.  Lacking  a  cake 
rack,  flatten  a  big  potato  after  peeling  it,  make 
holes  in  the  upper  surface  with  a  wire  nail,  and 
anchor  the  stems  in  them. 

Hanging  -  holders  for  trailers  should  have 
something  inside — wet  sand  or  wire  net — to 
hold  their  contents  stable.  If  a  tall  flower  pot 
is  set  in  a  niche  or  corner,  arrange  a  light  to 
fall  directly  on  it,  as  a  fairy  lamp  or  tall  candle 
set  upon  a  bracket.  Beware  of  having  too 
many  flowers,  and  particularly  too  many  sorts. 
Even  blossoms  can  swear  at  each  other — 
decorativcly. 

Keeping  Cut  Flowers  Fresh:  Flowers  sent 
long  distances  need  special  care.  Stick  the 
stalks  of  roses  in  sections  of  potato,  else  seal  by 
dipping  in  melted  paraffine,  then  roll  each 
separately  in  wax  paper  so  it  forms  a  tube. 
Lay  the  tubes  together  in  a  stanch  box,  cut 
holes  in  either  end  after  it  is  wrapped  and  tied. 


162  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

The  roses  should  be  between  bud  and  half 
blow.  Chrysanthemums  can  be  sent  the  same 
way  by  either  mail  or  express.  So  can  camel- 
lias and  gardenias,  but  they  change  color  so 
quickly  after  opening  they  are  hardly  worth 
the  trouble. 


X 

DISINFECTANTS,   INSECTS,    INSECTICIDES 

Quicklime :  Put  big  lumps  in  broad  earthen 
platters,  set  on  floors  of  cellars,  outhouses,  or 
barns,  and  slack  with  copperas  water. 

Charcoal:  Lay  lumps  in  vegetable  bins  or 
on  cellar  shelves.  Hang  other  lumps  in  bags 
of  coarse  net  on  cellar  and  pantry  walls.  Heat 
every  month^  or  so  to  maintain  absorbent 
power. 

Borax:  Sprinkle  powdered  borax  freely  over 
smelly  places — under  sinks,  around  plumbing, 
over  pantry  shelves,  and  on  floors  where  cans 
are  set.  It  is  so  safe,  so  wholesome,  even 
spilling  it  is  worth  while. 

Washing-soda:  Dissolve  a  pound  in  a  pint 
of  boiling  water  and  flush  sink  pipes,  refriger- 
ator drains,  and  set  tubs  with  it. 

Copperas  (green  vitriol,  otherwise  sulphate 
12 


1G4  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

of  iron) :  Dissolve  a  pound  in  a  gallon  of  water; 
it  will  take  several  hours.  Dilute  one-half  with 
boiling  water  and  flush  water  closets,  bath 
pipes,  set  bowls,  and  so  forth.  Sprinkle  thus 
diluted  over  smelly  earth,  as  in  chicken  runs, 
kennel  floors,  stall  floors,  and  where  garbage 
stands.  Use  liberally  on  garbage,  in  earth 
closets,  or  privies,  also  on  standing  water  in- 
fested with  green  scum.  A  gallon  added  to  a 
pot  of  whitewash  gives  a  yellow  tinge  and 
makes  the  wash  more  sanitary. 

Bluestone:  Blucstone,  sulphate  of  copper, 
must  be  dissolved  in  the  same  proportions.  It 
is  a  germicide  more  than  disinfectant,  espe- 
cially valuable  where  there  have  been  sick 
animals.  Dilute  with  four  times  its  bulk  of 
boiling  water  or  mix  through  hot  whitewash. 
It  is  staple  against  seed  infection,  as  smuts 
and  molds.  The  most  part  of  garden  seed 
sprout  and  grow  better  for  wetting  with  the 
dilute  solution  and  drjnng  before  planting. 
■  White  Vitriol :  Sulphate  of  zinc,  a  powerful 
astringent  germicide,  needs  care  in  handling. 
Dissolve  it,  four  ounces  to  the  half  gallon  of 


DISINFECTANTS  165 

water,  strain,  and  put  into  clean  bottles.  Keep 
dark,  corked  tightly.  Use  to  clean  and  disin- 
fect sores  from  frost  bite  or  indolent  ulcers. 
Dilute  with  five  times  as  much  tepid  rain  water. 
Use  on  the  combs  of  poultry  when  raw  from 
frost,  also  for  scaly  leg  and  the  ail  known  as 
"buml)Io-f()ot." 

Bichloride  of  Mercury:  The  king  among 
disinfectants,  also  one  of  the  deadliest  among 
poisons.  Dissolve  in  boiling  rain  water,  four 
ounces  to  the  gallon.  Let  stand;  it  dissolves 
slowly.  Keep  in  glass,  tightly  corked,  plainly 
labeled  "poison."  Dilute  one-half  for  use  in 
the  sick  room.  But  put  on  full  strength  when 
fighting  bed  bugs. 

Bordeaux  Mixture:  Staple  for  spraying 
against  molds,  etc.  One  pound  blue  vitriol 
dissolved  in  five  gallons  rain  water  and  added 
to  one  pound  powdered  unslaked  lime  mixed 
to  a  cream  with  rain  water.  Stir  well,  and 
strain  before  spraying.  Dilute  one-half  to 
three-fourths;  if  too  strong  it  scorches  vege- 
tation. 

Kerosene  Emulsion:  Stir  hard  together  in 


166  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

an  earthen  vessel  a  quart  of  buttermilk  and 
half  a  gallon  kerosene.  Stir  with  wood  until 
thick  and  buttery.  Use  full  strength  to  paint 
tree  trunks  and  hard  branches  in  winter,  but 
dilute  at  least  ten  times  for  use  on  green 
things.  Mix  with  warm  water,  twenty  parts 
to  one  for  spraying  against  plant  lice.  For 
fighting  red  spider  stir  a  little  sulphur  into  the 
emulsion  before  diluting.  Spray  late — as  near 
night  as  possible. 

Bisulphide  of  Lime:  Sure  death  to  either 
animal  or  plant  lice.  Mix  in  equal  quantity 
flowers  of  sulphur  and  powdered  quicklime, 
cover  two  inches  with  boiling  water,  boil  five 
hours,  filling  up  and  adding  more  water  till 
there  is  three  times  the  original  quantity. 
Dilute  the  result,  a  brown  smelly  liquid,  one 
hundred  times  for  use  either  as  wash  or  spray. 

Against  Garden  Pests:  Mix  any  arsenical 
powder — London  purple,  Scheele's  green,  or 
Paris  green — with  its  own  bulk  of  flour  and 
twice  its  bulk  of  slaked  lime,  and  dust  upon 
plants  while  damp.  Good  for  potato  beetles, 
squash    bugs,    flea    bugs,    grasshoppers,    cut 


DISINFECTANTS  167 

worms,  and  cabbage  worms.  Use  in  a  pow- 
der gun  or  tie  in  a  tliin  bag,  fasten  it  to 
a  long  pole  and  shake  so  as  to  coat  plants 
evenly. 

Larkspur :  Larkspur  destroys  lice  and  mites. 
Sow  rather  thick,  cut  when  beginning  to 
flower,  dry  in  shade.  Strip  leaves  and  buds 
when  full  dry,  powder,  and  keep  in  glass. 
Save  stems  and  coarse  stalks  to  make  tx}a. 
Infuse  for  twelve  hours,  then  boil  for  two, 
strain,  and  reduce  by  boiling  another  hour. 
Use  in  suds  a  cup  to  the  quart,  or  in  whitewash 
a  pint  to  the  gallon.  Make  an  ointment  by 
either  stewing  tender  tips  in  lard  or  fresh  butter 
in  a  water  bath  until  the  grease  is  well  colored 
or  by  putting  with  it  the  infusion  at  full 
strength  and  stewing  out  the  water.  Stir  in  a 
little  flowers  of  sulphur,  a  teaspoonful  to  the 
pint,  for  use  on  cattle  or  horses.  Grease  back 
of  the  ears,  under  the  throat,  and  along  the 
backbone.  Grease  poultry  under  the  wings, 
around  the  neck,  and  on  top  of  the  head. 
Blow  larkspur  powder  into  the  hair  of  dogs 
and  cats  after  bathing  them. 


168  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

For  Flies  and  Mosquitoes:  Stop  the  be- 
ginnings. Burn  or  bury  garbage.  Spray  all 
possible  fly  beds  well  with  copperas  water 
daily.  Be  prodigal  of  whitewash  wherever  it 
will  stick.  Flush  drains  well  with  boiling  soda 
water  and  use  copperas  water  or  carbolic  suds 
to  spray  earth  on  which  waste  water  discharges. 
Keep  manure  piles  covered  with  fresh  earth, 
also  wet  daily  with  copperas  water.  Set  fly 
traps  outdoors  wherever  the  pests  congregate. 
Fill  a  tumbler  two-thirds  with  suds  and  lay  a 
cardboard  over  with  a  hole  in  the  middle. 
Smear  syrup  on  the  underside  for-  bait.  Empty 
twice  a  day,  burning  the  drowTied  flies.  Boil 
together  two  ounces  ground  black  pepper,  four 
ounces  sugar,  and  a  cup  of  sweet  milk,  set  the 
syrup  shallowly  in  plates — the  flies  will,  do  the 
rest.  The  mixture  kills  them,  but  is  harmless 
to  anything  else.  Oil  of  lavender  sprayed  will 
drive  out  flies  temporarily.  So 'will  rose  ger- 
anium bruised  to  smell  strongly.  Screen 
every  opening  with  wire  gauze  or  cheesecloth, 
make  cheesecloth  covers,  rounds  with  wire  in 
the  hems,  to  protect  hot  food,  be  diligent  with 


DISINFECTANTS  169 

fly  paddles,  and  avoid  slopping,  also  throwing 
out  slops  on  the  ground. 

Mosquitoes,  say  the  wise  men,  are  a  local 
issue,  bred  in  standing  water.  Wherefore 
leave  no  water  standing,  not  even  a  rusty 
eanful.  Cover  rain  barrels  with  screen  wire, 
pour  crude  kerosene  upon  ponds  and  pools. 
Begin  early,  before  buds  swell.  Keep  it  up 
until  frost.  Examine  cellars,  especially  barn 
cellars.  Mosquitoes  winter  in  them.  Kill  all 
such  lingerers  with  thick  smoke — tobacco 
smoke  or  from  pyrethrum  powder  or  by  touch- 
ing off  a  little  gunpowder  on  a  plate.  Concus- 
sion makes  the  mosquitoes  drop;  sweep  up  and 
burn.  Concerted  action  is  imperative.  If  no 
man  liveth  or  dieth  unto  himself,  how  much  less 
so  any  man's  crop  of  mosquitoes !  Screens  and 
smoke  from  punk  sticks,  pyrethrum,  and  dr}^ 
pennyroyal  are  the  best  weapons  against  at- 
tack. Oil  of  pennyroyal  likewise  helps.  Smear 
lightly  on  forehead,  hands,  and  arms  before 
going  to  sleep.  Wilting  leaves  of  the  stately 
castor  bean,  also  tender  branches,  hung  about 
will  drive  out  mosquitoes, 


170  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Fleas  harbor  in  light  litter — hay,  straw, 
leaves,  most  of  all  shed  hair.  Flea-bearing 
animals  have  each  their  own  species,  which 
fight  to  the  death.  There  are  also  sand  fleas. 
Fight  with  fire,  smoke,  water,  oil  of  pennyroyal, 
and  fresh  black-walnut  leaves.  Sprinkle  kero- 
sene on  the  litter  suspected;  sweep  up  and 
burn.  Oil  sand  beds  likewise,  else  drench  with 
copperas  water.  Wet  manure  heaps  with 
bichloride  solution  or  bisulphide  of  mercury. 
Gather  walnut  leaves  in  armfuls  and  crowd 
them  into  places  unsafe  for  oil  or  fire,  as  under 
piazzas,  bungalow  floors,  or  low  sheds.  Put 
them  also  about  rooms  where  fleas  abound, 
tied  in  thick  bunches,  and  laid  under  beds  or 
in  closets.  Gasolene  where  safe  is  a  mighty 
help.  Paint  floors  and  baseboard  with  it,  in 
default  of  bichloride  solution.  Painting  with 
turpentine  is  also  fairly  effective.  Success  is 
impossible,  however,  unless  the  flea -fighting 
extends  to  animals  as  well. 

Bed  Bugs:  Bed  bugs  demand  eternal  vig- 
ilance, especially  in  apartments.  Make  bed- 
rooms and  closets  as  nearly  as  possible  bug 


DISINFECTANTS  171 

proof  l)y  washing,  after  cleaning  thoroughly, 
with  bichloride  solution,  then  filling  every 
crack,  cranny,  and  crevice  with  soft  putty. 
Lay  a  thin  rope  of  putty  along  the  baseljoard 
on  the  floor  and  crowd  down  upon  it  cjuartcr- 
round  molding  cut  to  fit.  Nail  fast,  and  paint 
to  match  the  baseboard.  This  is  an  effectual 
seal  for  dividing  wall  on  a  common  floor.  Set 
collars  of  the  stiffest  putty  around  steam  pipes 
where  they  go  in  and  out.  Renew  them  as 
often  as  they  crack  and  crumble,  but  do  not 
trust  to  them  entirely.  Examine  evcrj^thing 
monthly — bed,  furnishings,  chairs,  boxes,  the 
backs  of  pictures,  books,  and  stacked  papers. 
Paper  in  mass  is  a  favorite  lurking  place.  Have 
white  slips  for  mattresses;  remove,  turn,  ex- 
amine seams,  and  wet  corners  with  bichloride. 
Paint  the  mattress  over  lightly  with  bichloride; 
it  neither  stains  nor  smells.  Wipe  the  bed- 
stead and  springs  with  a  cloth  wet  in  it,  and 
drench  crannies  unwipable.  Wipe  the  backs 
of  pictures  and  of  dressers,  in  fact,  any  sheltered 
and  static  space.  Wipe  the  floor  with  bi- 
chloride, if  bare,  and  wax  or  oil  afterward. 


172  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Sprinkle  a  carpet  or  rugs  well  with  bichloride, 
then  sweep  with  a  broom  dipped  in  very  hot 
water.  Empty  closets,  wipe  over,  examine  all 
accumulations  of  paper,  boxes,  etc.  A  bug 
overlooked  will  in  a  month's  space  infest  a 
whole  house.  Couches  of  rattan,  wicker,  or 
upholstered  are  strongholds  of  the  blood- 
suckers. Set  in  air  and  drench  with  benzine 
or  gasolene,  leave  standing  a  day,  and  drench 
again,  shaking,  brushing,  and  beating  between 
drenchings. 

Wicker  clothes  hampers  and  baskets,  also 
baby  carriages,  are  other  strongholds.  Scald 
hampers  and  baskets  with  boiling-hot  soda 
water,  then  paint  over  with  turpentine  and  a 
little  sweet  oil.  Use  gasolene  on  the  carriages, 
applying  with  a  thick  brush  rather  than 
drenching.  Repeat  twice  in  succession,  wash 
everything  washable,  and  sun  for  a  week. 

Moths:  Moths  in  upholstered  things  must 
be  got  rid  of  the  same  as  bed  bugs  (see  pre- 
ceding paragraph).  Clean  rugs  thoroughly, 
spray  on  both  sides  with  gasolene  or  strong 
black-pepper  tea,  sun  well,  then  roll  up  between 


DISINFECTANTS  173 

newspapers,  tie  fast,  wrap  spirally  with  stiff 
paper,  fold  ends  neatly,  slip  over  them  paper 
bags  fitting  accurately,  paste  down  edges, 
paste  a  strip  of  paper  over  the  edge  of  the 
wrapping.  Clean  heavy  coats  with  gasolene  or 
benzine,  crowd  newspaper  into  the  sleeves, 
crumple  more  newspaper  thickly  over  the 
hanger,  fasten  the  coat,  slip  over  it  a  bag  of 
pasted  newspapers,  pass  the  hanger  hook  up 
through  it,  crumple  the  paper  tight  arountl 
the  shank  and  tie,  then  fold  over  the  bottom 
of  the  paper  several  times,  and  fasten  with 
stout  wire  clips.  Moth  balls  may  be  slipped 
in  coat  pockets,  but  will  hardly  be  needed  if  they 
are  hung  in  a  light  place. 

Store  and  protect  tailor  suits  much  the  same. 
After  cleaning  fold  the  skirt  belt  in  six  and 
fasten  with  a  big  safety  pin  to  lower  bend  of 
the  hanger  shank,  then  slip  on  its  newspaper 
bag  and  fasten.  Put  on  the  coat,  then  over  all 
a  bigger  newspaper  bag.  Put  inside  wisps  of 
cotton  tied  up  in  net,  and  wet  with  oil  of  cedar. 
One-piece  cloth  frocks  should  be  hung  the  same 
as  long  coats,  but  have  the  skirts  folded  upward 


174  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

over  a  roll  of  newspapers  about  midway  and 
pinned  or  basted  to  the  waist.  Store  fur  coats 
the  same  way  after  cleaning  and  sunning  for 
several  days.  Put  mothaline  bags  outside  over 
those  of  newspaper  and  sachets  of  sandalwood 
in  the  sleeves.  If  moths  have  touched  them 
before  storing,  lay  them  for  several  days  on  a 
slat  tray  in  a  trunk  with  a  big  sponge  saturated 
in  gasolene  below.  Keep  the  trunk  outside  and 
shut  tight;  gasolene  vapor  ought  to  kill  the 
moth  eggs.  Clean  small  furs  as  muffs,  tippets, 
cuffs,  sun,  sew  up  tight  in  old  linen,  sprinkle 
well  with  black-pepper  tea,  then  wrap  in  news- 
paper, wipe  out  their  boxes  with  a  cloth  dipped 
in  gasolene,  put  in  the  wrapped  furs,  wrap 
boxes,  and  slip  in  paper  bags,  then  fold  and 
paste  together  the  bag  ends.  If  no  moth  nor 
egg  was  inside  none  will  come  out. 

Fine  things,  such  as  camel's-hair  shawls, 
moth-infested  should  be  brushed  and  sunned, 
then  wrapped  in  clean  linen,  over  chat  thick 
wet  towels,  over  that  paper,  and  laid  in  a  hot 
oven  until  the  paper  scorches.  This  is  equal 
to  superheated  steam  for  moth  and  egg  destruc- 


DISINFECTANTS  175 

tion,  but  does  no  harm  to  the  finest  fabric.  Sew 
up  in  linen  and  store  same  as  small  furs. 
Steam  is  also  sovereign  for  moths  in  carpets 
where  it  is  unsafe  to  use  gasolene  or  benzine. 
Cover  the  infected  spots  with  thick  wet  towels, 
letting  them  lie  a  good  bit  over  and  iron  first 
around  the  edges,  then  all  over  with  blazing- 
hot  irons,  changing  them  as  they  cease  to  hiss. 
Repeat  at  weekly  intervals  for  a  month. 
After  ironing  go  along  the  edges,  wetting  the 
carpet  well  with  bichloride  solution.  A  carpet 
to  be  stored  should  be  sprayed  with  gasolene 
after  cleaning,  then  folded  over  double  news- 
papers, and  sprayed  at  each  doubling  over  with 
black-pepper  tea.  A  long,  narrow  bag  of  moth 
balls  in  the  deepest  fold  adds  something  to 
insect  insurance.  Store  in  light  and  off  the 
floor.  A  discarded  bed  spring  is  fine  to  lay 
such  things  on.  Stand  rolled  rugs  on  end  if 
not  too  long,  and  a  little  apart. 

A  Blanket  Box:  Make  blankets  clean  and 
whole,  fold  in  three,  lengthwise,  roll  up  over 
a  core  of  moth  balls,  sew  in  old  linen,  and 
pack.     Fill  all  crevices  in  a  big  packing-case 


176  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

with  putty  or  plaster  wet  with  egg,  paper  with 
plain  manila  paper,  let  dry,  then  paint  the 
paper  with  oil  of  cedar.  Give  two  coats.  Put 
over  the  bottom  a  sachet  of  cedar  twigs  or 
shavings  laid  on  wadding  and  tacked  between 
cheesecloth.  Pack  blankets  and  woolens  on 
this,  tucking  smaller  cedar  sachets  into  crev- 
ices, also  moth  balls  tied  in  cheesecloth.  Put 
in  white  things  first,  lay  paper  over  them,  then 
pack  colored  ones.  Cover  with  another  cedar 
sachet,  tuck  paper  snugly  over  it,  then  shut — 
the  top  must  be  hinged  on— and  paste  paper 
over  the  edges.  As  long  as  it  is  unbroken  the 
contents  are  safe. 

Where  storage  space  is  lacking  use  a  box 
couch,  making  sure  with  bichloride  and  gaso- 
lene that  neither  moth  nor  bed  bug  lurks  inside. 
Use  oil  of  lavender  and  pine  twigs  rather  than 
cedar,  omit  the  sealing  with  paper,  but  examine 
now  and  then;  if  you  discover  the  enemy  do 
not  halt  until  he  is  forever  and  completely 
yours. 

Roaches  and  Water  Bugs:  Powdered 
borax  mixed  with  sugar  kills  them.     Set  it 


DISINFECTANTS  177 

about  in  saucers,  sprinkle  under  pipes  and  on 
sills,  also  on  the  bottom  of  closets  and  drawers. 
Lay  clean  paper  over  it.  Once  a  month  remove 
paper,  wipe  wood,  sprinkle  again  after  drying, 
and  put  on  fresh  paper.  Burn  every  dead  in- 
sect. In  cellars  or  greenhouses  mix  a  little 
Paris  green  with  the  powder,  dip  into  it  cut 
potatoes,  and  lay  them  cut  side  down,  in  the 
way  of  roaches.  Gather  up  each  morning, 
drop  in  water  as  gathered,  and  replace  at  even- 
ing with  freshly  loaded  potatoes.  Pour  tur- 
pentine around  water  pipes  and  those  for 
steam  heat.  Paint  the  pipes  with  turpentine, 
doing  it  when  they  are  cool.  Paint  kitchen 
floors  and  baseboards  after  scouring  with 
bichloride  of  mercury;  beware,  though,  using  it 
higher.  Keep  borax  and  sugar  on  pantry 
shelves  under  paper.  Paint  with  turpentine 
at  housecleaning.  Fill  cracks,  crevices,  and 
knotholes  with  putty.  Do  the  same  with  tops 
and  rims  of  set  tubs,  renewing  it  as  it  breaks. 
Ants:  Ants,  black  or  red,  hate  the  smell  of 
camphor.  Make  rings  of  it  around  dishes  of 
food  and  pour  it  into  crevices  suspected  as  ant 


178  HOUSEHOLD  HANDBOOK 

roads.  If  they  climb  by  a  post  or  pillar  put  a 
tarred  bandage  around  it.  Find  the  nest  if 
possible  and  destroy  it  with  boiling  water  or 
gasolene  or  kerosene  with  a  little  camphor 
added.  Beware  of  gasolene  if  the  nest  is  close 
to  any  building.  Boiling  soda  water  is  safe 
anywhere  except  about  plants.  There  use 
strong  carbolic  soapsuds,  blood-warm,  with  an 
after  -  sprinkle  of  camphor.  Gum"  camphor 
tied  in  net  and  hung  in  closets  or  pantries  helps 
to  drive  ants  away.  » 


XI 

CARE  OF  PETS 

Dogs:  Choose  your  dog,  unless  he  chooses 
himself  by  adopting  you,  with  regard  for  en- 
vironment. Big  dogs  require  space — big  rooms 
and  grounds  outside.  Small  ones  are  "in 
drawing"  with  apartments  or  modest  houses. 
Breed  is  a  matter  of  chance  or  choice.  Toy 
terriers,  toy  Pomeranians,  spaniels,  and  pugs 
fit  into  restricted  menages.  St.  Bernards, 
collies,  greyhounds,  wolf  hounds,  and  hunting- 
dogs  in  general  are  miserable  in  confinement, 
also  miserably  out  of  place. 

Teach  him  obedience  first  of  all,  keep  him 

clean  and  comfortable,  never  forget  him,  feed 

regularly,  give  constant  access  to  clean  water, 

and    always    sufficient    exercise.       Otherwise 

don't  keep  him;    neglect  is  a  refinement  of 

cruelty. 
13 


180  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

Varj'  the  feeding.  Dog  biscuit  daj^  in  and 
out  destroys  appetite  and  thrift.  Shift  every 
other  day  to  table  scraps,  oatmeal  porridge, 
cornmeal  mush  cooked  with  broth,  or  raw  meat 
and  bones.  Give  milk  almost  every  day — 
not  too  much.  Be  sparing  of  the  raw  meat; 
a  zest  suffices.  Tinj^  house  dogs  ought  to  have 
light  breakfasts,  with  a  hearty  dinner  around 
two  o'clock,  and  nothing  more.  Dogs  running 
out  need  much  more  food,  otherwise  they  get 
into  mischief.  A  hearty  breakfast  and  dinner 
with  milk  and  mush  at  sundown  is  not  too 
much.  Feed  all  that  will  be  eaten  clean;  if 
food  is  left,  diminish  the  quantity.  Leave 
nothing  but  bones  where  a  dog  maj'  come  back 
to  it.  Gnawing  solid  bones  helps  strength  and 
spirit.  Small  bones  of  game  or  fowl  must  be 
given  wdth  discretion;  they  are  crunched  and 
swallowed  so  greedily  the  sharp  ends  may  do 
harm  if  the  stomach  is  too  full  of  them. 

A  flea-bearing  dog  is  intolerable.  Wash  in 
larkspur  water  (see  section  Insecticides)  or 
carbolic  soapsuds,  and  comb  while  in  the  bath 
with  a  fine-tooth  comb.     Drain  off  water  and 


CARE    OF    PETS  181 

fleas,  rinse  tub,  rinse  dog  well,  dry  \A'ith  coarse 
soft  towels,  keep  muzzled  until  fully  dry,  and 
away  from  draughts.  When  fully  dry,  part 
hair  and  blow  in  behind  the  ears  and  along  the 
spine  flowers  of  sulphur  mixed  Avith  larkspur 
powder  or  pyrethrum  powder. 

For  skin  troubles,  mange  especially,  bathe 
well  in  hot  sulphur  soapsuds,  rinse  dry,  and 
rub  well  into  the  affected  spots  unsalted  butter 
washed  clean  of  milk  and  made  yellow  with 
flowers  of  sulphur.  If  the  trouble  persists 
and  the  dog  is  valuable,  consult  a  vet; 
the  dog,  perhaps,  needs  constitutional  treat- 
ment. 

Kennels  and  doghouses  must  be  clean  and 
dry,  baskets  and  bedding  kept  clean  and  free 
of  vermin.  Whitewash  kennels  and  dog- 
houses often,  putting  larkspur  infusion  or 
carbolic  acid  in  the  whitewash,  else  mixing  in 
flowers  of  sulphm*.  Scald  baskets,  dry,  and 
paint  with  turpentine  and  sweet  oil.  Lay  bed- 
ding outside  and  drench  with  gasolene.  Burn 
it  if  mange  appears,  else  it  will  reinfect  the 
animal.     Do   not   let   dogs   sleep   haphazard 


182  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

anywhere  they  can.  Give  them  comfortable 
beds,  indoors  or  out. 

A  dog  running  free  at  exercise  needs  no 
clothes.  On  leash,  with  his  keeper  merely 
walking  or  sauntering,  a  warm  blanket,  or, 
better,  a  sweater,  is  essential  in  cold  weather. 
Keep  dogs  outdoors  as  much  as  possible  in  hot 
weather,  but  do  not  let  them  run  too  much. 
Provide  shade,  especially  for  guard  dogs. 
Teach  all  dogs,  and  especially  guard  dogs,  to 
refuse  food  from  strangers.  This  is  impossible 
with  a  hungry  dog.  Full  feeding  guards 
against  foraging  at  large,  the  thing  which  gives 
poisoners  the  best  opportunity. 

Dogs  perspire  only  through  the  tongue, 
hence  the  panting  after  exertion.  Let  them 
drink  all  they  will,  but  have  the  water  clean. 
Milk  is  food,  not  drink.  Do  not  imagine  it 
takes  the  place  of  water.  Water,  free  and 
clean,  is  held  the  best  preventive  of  rabies.  In 
case  rabies  is  suspected  isolate  safely,  and 
observe  for  at  least  a  week.  Pseudo-rabies,  in- 
duced by  fear,  kills  many  more  people  than  the 
real  thing.     An  ailing  dog,  or  one  tired,  thirsty, 


CARE   OF   PETS  183 

or  lost,  will  snap  at  almost  anything  in  his  way. 
Do  not  on  that  account  condemn  him  untried 
to  death.  Rest,  food,  and  drink,  in  confine- 
ment, will  discover  his  true  condition.  If  mad- 
ness is  proved,  kill,  quickly  and  mercifully,  burn 
or  bury,  disinfect  every  space  he  has  touched 
with  bichloride  of  mercury,  burn  movable 
boards,  litter,  ropes,  etc.  Grass  or  earth  upon 
which  saliva  has  dropped  had  better  be 
drenched  with  kerosene  and  set  on  fire. 

Cats:  Cats  likewise  suffer  rabies;  in  case 
of  it  use  the  same  measures.  Cats  of  fancy 
breeds  are  more  decorative  than  plain  tabbys, 
but  also  more  delicate  and  much  less  intelligent, 
withal  lacking  in  affection,  and  of  no  use  save 
to  look  fine. 

White  cats,  especially  those  with  blue  eyes, 
are  more  savage,  less  affectionate,  and  much 
harder  house-broken  than  black,  gray,  or 
tortoise-shell  ones.  Often  the  white  fellows 
are  deaf.  Each  and  several,  cats'  run  wild  for 
reasonable  opportunity,  yet  they  bear  housing 
and  confinement  admirably.  They  need  raw 
meat,  but  not  too  much;   a  bit  of  liver  or  a 


184  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

fish  head  every  other  day  suffices.  Alternately 
give  bones,  with  the  milk  and  crumbled  bread, 
which  is  the  mainstay  of  their  diet.  Give  also 
at  night  a  saucer  of  pure  milk.  Water  and 
catnip,  green  or  dry,  should  be  always  acces- 
sible. Do  not  overfeed;  cats  are  dainty  glut- 
tons if  permitted.  Keep  them  thriving,  but 
not  fat — fat  and  indigestion  are  the  roots  of 
disease. 

Rid  of  fleas  as  directed  for  dogs.  After 
drying,  confine  for  some  time,  first  giving  a 
saucer  of  milk  with  a  teaspoonful  of  whisky 
or  brandy  in  it.  For  skin  troubles  grease  all 
over  with  the  sulphur  and  butter,  confine  so  as 
to  keep  from  getting  dirty,  and  Avash  well  after 
twenty-four  hours  in  hot  suds,  rinsing  well  and 
drying  with  soft  towels.  Repeat  at  intervals 
as  long  as  needed.  Feed  on  bread  and  milk, 
be  lavish  of  catnip,  burn  infected  bedding,  wash 
and  fumigate  baskets,  or  treat  with  bichloride 
of  mercury  (see  section  Disinfectants). 

Belgian  Hares  and  Cavies:  Both  are 
vegetable  feeders.  They  will  live  in  small 
quarters,  but  do  better  in  bigger  ones.     Keep 


CARE    OF    PETS  1S5 

the  quarters  dean  and  sanitary  with  whitewash 
and  disinfectants.  If  very  small,  have  floors 
of  loose  boards  which  can  be  taken  up  and 
scalded.  Feed  three  times  a  day  with  grain, 
roots,  and  green  stuff.  Be  liberal  of  the  green 
stuff.  With  a  grass  run  the  beasts  will  supplj^ 
most  of  it  themselves.  Scatter  the  food,  and 
give  only  as  much  as  will  be  eaten  clean. 
Suckling  mothers  need  extra  feeds,  five  a  day 
instead  of  three. 

Dust  weekly  with  sifted  ashes,  corn  starch  in 
powder,  and  flowers  of  sulphur.  Use  in  dry 
weather,  putting  on  at  night.  Have  hutches 
big  enough  to  prevent  crowding.  Beware  let- 
ting your  pets  overrun  the  space  at  command. 

Birds:  Mocldng-birds,  cardinals,  bullfinches 
and  orioles,  all  of  which  it  is  ^\icked  to  keep 
in  cages,  need  very  roomy  cages,  perches  with 
the  bark  on,  much  clean  sandy  earth  on  the 
floors,  clean  grain,  green  stuff,  ripe  fruit,  and 
insects,  besides  the  egg-and-potato  mixture 
which  is  their  mainstay.  Tie  heads  of  wheat, 
oats,  or  millet  to  the  bars,  hang  lettuce  and 
peppergrass  there,  also  chickweed  in  season. 


186  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

Put  ripe  berries  on  clean  twigs  and  suspend; 
force  bits  of  apple  and  peach  between  wires 
close  to  the  perches.  Have  a  swing,  a  roomy 
bath,  with  the  usual  feed  and  water  cups. 
Change  the  water  daily,  twice  in  summer. 
Put  one  drop  of  carbolic  acid  in  the  bath  for 
insect  prevention.  Boil  eggs  twenty  minutes, 
crush  the  yolk  while  hot  with  a  freshly  boiled 
Irish  potato,  season  with  the  least  grain  of  salt 
and  a  very  little  red  pepper,  and  put  into  the 
cup.  Keep  the  cage  very  clean,  scald  it  every 
three  months.  Hang  it  outside  in  pleasant 
weather,  but  never  so  the  sun  at  midday  will 
strike  full  on  the  birds. 

Give  flies,  crickets,  earth  worms,  grass- 
hoppers, but  not  hairy  catei:)illars,  spiders,  nor 
wasps.  Mockers  sing  almost  the  night  through 
in  spring.  To  silence  them  cover  the  cage  with 
something  thick,  set  where  it  is  very  dark,  then 
uncover. 

Canaries:  A  long  body  and  thick  smooth 
plumage  are  marks  of  a  good  canary.  Males 
only  sing.  Coat  color  varies.  German  cana- 
ries show  many  shades  of  yellow  besides  mot- 


CARE    OF    PETS  187 

tied  tints.  Yellow-red  Norwich  birds  owe 
their  giddy  coats  to  red  pepper  in  the  food. 
Unless  it  is  given  liberally  at  moulting-time 
their  fine  feathers  come  back  dull  and  pale. 
Birds  are  in  full  song  at  a  year  old.  Younger, 
they  have  rarely  been  well  taught.  The  range 
of  hfe  is  seven  to  twenty  years;  the  last  is 
possible  only  with  exceptional  birds  and  still 
more  exceptional  care. 

Teach  canaries  to  deserve  the  freedom  of  the 
room.  It  helps  in  many  ways.  Leave  the  cage 
door  open;  do  not  coax  him  out  nor  force  him 
m  except  as  a  last  resort.  Rather  let  hunger 
take  him  back.  He  will  learn  quickly  and 
enjoy  flying  about. 

A  metal  cage  with  a  movable  floor  is  the 
one  to  choose.  Wood  invites  vermin  and  har- 
bors it  distressingly.  Hang  where  it  is  neither 
hot  nor  cold,  away  from  draughts,  but  with  air 
plenty.  Feed  regularly,  but  do  not  overfeed. 
Hemp  seed  are  so  fattening  they  must  be  given 
sparingly.  The  regular  bird  seed  sold  in 
packages  is  excellent  if  fresh.  A  dull  appear- 
ance is  against  it;  canar}^  seed  when  not  stale 


188  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

is  shiny.  Empty  and  fill  the  seed  cup  daily, 
clean  the  floor,  and  put  down  fresh  gravel,  red 
and  white.  Keep  cuttlefish  bone  suspended  in 
the  cage,  and  put  in  daily  some  fresh  bit  of 
green.  Lettuce  will  answer,  but  chickweed  and 
peppergrass  are  better.  A  pod  of  Cayenne 
pepper  is  good  in  sharp  weather.  So  is  a  little 
hard-boiled  egg,  lightly  dusted  with  red  pepper, 
or  bread  crumbs  squeezed  out  of  milk  and 
similarly  dusted.  A  droopy  bird  showing 
signs  of  diarrhea  should  have  black -pepper 
tea  to  drink,  else  a  strip  of  fat  pork  rolled 
in  ground  pepper  hung  where  it  can  be 
pecked. 

Fill  the  bath  every  morning.  If  a  bird  picks 
himself  after  bathing  put  a  few  drops  of  rose 
water  or  cologne  in  the  bath.  Bare  spots  from 
the  picking  should  be  rubbed  very  lightly  with 
sulphur  and  butter,  putting  also  a  little  under 
the  wings  and  back  of  the  neck.  Ragged  plu- 
mage may  mean  a  hardened  oil  gland.  It  lies 
just  at  the  root  of  the  tail  and  furnishes  oil 
for  the  coat.  Look  at  it,  blowing  aside  cover- 
ing feathers.     If  swollen  and  inflamed,  drop 


CARE   OF   PETS  189 

on  warm,  weak  suds  from  a  medicine  dropper, 
dry  very  gently,  and  apply  a  little  vaseline. 
Repeat  daily  until  the  gland  frees  itself  of  the 
cake. 

Trim  nails  discreetl}^  holding  to  the  light 
so  as  to  miss  the  tiny  vein  in  them.  If  cut, 
hold  the  bleeding  foot  a  minute  in  tepid 
water,  dry,  and  touch  the  cut  with  vase- 
line. 

If  breeding,  separate  the  pair  when  brooding 
begins.  Afterward  let  both  feed  the  young. 
Provide  soft  food  twice  a  day — bread  crumbs 
soaked  in  milk,  scraped  apple,  mashed  hard- 
boiled  egg  yolk,  in  addition  to  seed  and  bird 
manna.  As  soon  as  it  is  safe  move  the  whole 
family  into  a  fresh,  clean  cage,  and  scald  and 
fumigate  the  other.  Mites,  the  bane  of  cana- 
ries, multiply  amazingly.  They  would  be  in- 
visible but  for  their  blood  color.  Feeding 
by  day,  they  quit  their  prey  at  night.  Throw 
a  sheet  of  Canton  flannel  over  cages  suspected, 
remove  it  quickly  by  lamplight,  and  plunge  in 
boiling  water.  Mites  will  show  on  it  after 
death.     If  they  are  plenty,  shift  to  a  clean  cage 


190  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

at  once  and  repeat  the  cloth  treatment  until 
all  are  destroyed.  Infested  cages  should  be, 
after  scalding,  drenched  with  gasolene  and 
aired  for  a  week.  Scalding  with  bichloride  is 
also  effectual;  it  must  be  followed  by  a  scald- 
ing in  clear,  boiling  water  and  a  fortnight  of 
airing. 

Parrots :  If  the  parrot  is  for  company  get  a 
gray  African — they  make  the  best  talkers  and 
are  best  tempered.  For  decoration  get  the 
scarlet-crested  white  fellows,  or  the  yellow  and 
green,  or  blue  and  scarlet  and  yellow.  Treat- 
ment of  either  is  the  same;  feed  fruit,  nuts, 
grain,  a  little  meat,  insects,  bread,  especially 
cornbread,  and  cereals  cooked  stiff.  Parrots 
learn  quickly  to  eat  and  drink  with  their 
owners.  Coffee  in  moderation  is  good  for 
them,  but  they  must  have  water  besides.  Some 
thrive  better  for  drinking  milk;  indeed,  the 
creatures  are  almost  uncannily  human  in  many 
things.  Let  them  bathe  at  discretion,  provide 
also  a  dust  bath.  Have  a  roomy  cage,  a  tall, 
branchy  perch,  and  a  hoop  swing.  Never  tease 
nor  tantalize;   parrots  are  cross  enough  with- 


CARE    OF    PETS  191 

out;  also  jealous.  Do  not  leave  free  in  the 
room  with  a  small  child.  Their  beaks  are 
cruelly  sharp.  Lacking  insects,  give  small 
lumps  of  raw  mutton  fat.  Keep  everything 
about  them  very  clean. 


XII 
IN  EMERGENCIES 

Chimney  Blazes:  Smother  blazing  chim- 
neys by  tlirovving  salt,  damp  if  possible,  on  the 
fire,  and  setting  something  flat  against  the 
chimney  breast. 

Blazing  Fat:  Throw  on  salt,  sand,  or  ashes; 
water  makes  the  flame  fiercer.  Prevent 
draughts  if  possible;  keep  doors  and  windows 
shut  tight.  Turn  out  oil  or  gas  flames  under- 
neath, and  keep  everything  inflammable  away 
from  the  blaze. 

Gas  Leaks:  Open  doors  and  windows,  let 
accumulations  blow  out,  then  hunt  for  the 
broken  pipe — not  with  a  lamp  or  candle — and 
clap  on  it  when  found  either  a  blanket  of  putty 
or  flour  dough  wet  very  stifl".  Tie  in  place 
with  broad  tape,  then  wrap  with  a  cloth  so  as 
to  withstand  pressure.    But  first  of  all  call  for 


IN    EMERGENCIES  193 

the  repair  man.  With  a  leak  undiscoverable, 
shut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  house  and  leave 
windows  wide  open. 

Asphyxiation :  Whether  from  gas  or  drown- 
ing, lay  flat,  the  head  a  little  higher;  permit  no 
crowding;  resort  to  artificial  respiration — lift- 
ing the  arms  and  pressing  on  the  chest  sys- 
tematically, holding  the  tongue  out  all  the 
while;  rub  with  alcohol,  especially  feet  and 
hands;  keep  in  air,  and  work  gently  but 
quickly.  In  cases  of  drowning,  empty  lungs 
of  water  first  thing  by  laying  face  down  over 
a  bench  or  barrel  and  working  the  arms. 

Fainting:  Lay  flat,  the  head  lower  than 
the  body,  loosen  clothes,  especially  about  the 
neck,  dash  cold  water  gentl}^  in  the  face,  hold 
ammonia  under  nostrils,  rub  wrists  and  temples 
with  camphor  or  cologne  water,  and  if  the 
faint  persists  put  mustard  at  the  back  of  the 
neck  and  to  the  soles  of  the  feet.  Insensi- 
bility from  shock  or  falling  needs  slightly  dif- 
ferent treatment.  It  may  mean  concussion; 
hence,  let  the  head  be  highest  and  apply 
vigorous  friction  along  the  spine  as  well  as  to 


194  HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 

the  extremities.  Stimulate  as  soon  as  swallow- 
iug  is  possible,  and  move  with  caution. 

Burns:  Anything  which  excludes  air  with- 
out tainting  the  wound  or  irritating  it  further 
helps  a  bad  burn.  Carron  oil — a  creamy  mixture 
of  lime  water  and  sweet  oil — applied  with  a 
feather,  then  covered  with  cotton,  either  bat- 
ting or  absorbent,  gives  a  measure  of  relief  and 
is  also  healing.  Soft  old  linen  coated  with 
fresh  egg-white  laid  on  and  allowed  to  dry 
soothes  pain.  Even  a  covering  with  dry  flour, 
if  nothing  else  is  handy,  is  better  than  leaving 
the  burn  bare.  But  if  at  all  serious,  or  even  is 
shallow  and  wide  spread,  call  a  doctor  instantly, 
meantime  keeping  up  heart  action  with  stimu- 
lants in  small  doses  often  repeated. 

Breaks  and  Dislocations:  Lay  a  broken 
bone  straight  in  a  natural  position  upon  a  stout 
cardboard  splint  shaped  to  the  limb  and  cov- 
ered with  cotton  batting.  Bandage  limb  and 
splint  firmly  together,  working  toward  the 
trunk  and  keeping  the  bandage  smooth  but 
not  too  tight.  Wet  with  arnica.  This  keeps 
down  pain  and  inflammation,  making  the  sur- 


IN    EMERGENCIES  195 

geon's  work  when  he  arrives  easier  for  himself 
and  his  patient.  Reduce  dislocations  as  quickly 
as  possible  by  stretching  the  hurt  joint  steadily 
and  letting  another  person  manipulate  the 
hurt.  Often  the  bone  head  will  snap  back  in 
place  at  a  touch;  it  remains  then  only  to  keep 
it  in  place.  An  hour's  delay  would  mean 
swelling  to  render  the  replacing  much  harder. 
Wrist  and  elbow  joints  in  particular  arc  kittle 
cattle  if  left  to  swell.  First  aid  to  them  means 
many  times  preserving  use  and  saving  from 
lifelong  disfigurement.  But  this  first  aid  by  no 
means  suffices  to  make  surgical  care  unnecessary. 
Sprains  and  Strains:  Bandage  tight,  wet 
the  bandages  with  cold  water,  and  hold  in  an 
easy  position.  A  sprained  or  strained  ankle 
may  be  almost  cured  by  plunging  it  into  run- 
ning water  and  keeping  it  there  some  time. 
Lift  out  occasionally^,  then  replunge.  Strains 
require  rest  and  bandages.  Wet  the  bandages 
with  arnica.  If  there  is  muscle  shrinkage 
later,  rub  morning  and  night  with  chloroform 
liniment   after  bathing  with   hot  water   and 

wiping  dry. 
14 


196  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

Chloroform  Poisoning:  Keep  in  motion 
in  open  air,  dose  with  aromatic  spirits  of  am- 
monia well  diluted,  and  hold  it  undiluted  to 
nostrils.  Apply  electricity  to  spine;  this  if 
conscious.  If  fallen  into  a  stupor  put  ice  to 
spine  and  top  of  head,  hot  water  to  feet,  give 
hard  friction  with  alcohol,  or  camphor  on  legs 
and  arms.  Use  artificial  respiration  and 
stimulate  gently.  Friction  or  a  mustard 
plaster  over  the  heart  is  helpful.  Let  nothing 
bind  or  constrict  anywhere,  and  do  not  cease 
your  efforts  at  the  first  signs  of  lessening 
stupor. 

Narcotic  Poisoning:  For  laudanum,  mor- 
phine, or  opium  the  treatment  is  the  same. 
First  a  strong  emetic — mustard  and  water  as 
thick  as  pea  soup  is  among  the  best.  Follow 
it  with  black  coffee  as  strong  as  possible.  Give 
all  the  patient  can  be  made  to  swallow  at  short 
intervals,  keep  him  walking  briskly,  stripped 
to  the  waist,  dash  ice  water  on  the  spine, 
and  tie  ice  to  the  back  of  the  neck.  Flagellate 
lightly  on  shoulders;  the  tingles  help  to  rouse. 
Hold  aromatic  ammonia  to  his  nose  every  lialf 


IN   EMERGENCIES  197 

minute.  If  the  coffee  nauseates,  give  clear 
hot  water  after  to  make  vomiting  easy,  then 
after  ten  minutes  more  coffee  not  quite  so 
strong.  Permit  no  stop  for  several  hours;  if 
excretories  act  properly  the  danger  will  then 
have  been  past.  Electricity  is  useful,  but  not 
indispensable.  In  desperate  cases  use  every 
means  at  hand. 

Acid  Poisoning:  Emollients  are  the  anti- 
dotes for  acids;  emetics  wrench  and  tear 
seared  stomach  tissues.  No  matter  what  the 
acid — sulphuric,  carbolic,  nitric,  or  oxalic — 
give  something  soft  and  smooth — raw  eggs, 
cream,  starch  wet  as  thick  as  cream,  melted 
lard  or  butter,  olive  oil,  or  even  flour  and  water, 
followed  after  a  few  minutes  with  magnesia 
stirred  thick  in  tepid  water.  Let  the  patient 
rest  easily,  hold  ammonia  to  the  nostrils,  and 
put  hot-water  bags  to  the  feet.  Aim  to  keep 
up  vitalit}'"  under  the  shock  to  vital  tissues.  In 
such  cases  a  minute  means  often  the  difference 
between  life  and  death. 

Iodine  Poison:  Use  emollients  —  the  very 
best  is  thick  cooked  starch;  it  has  a  specific 


198  HOUSEHOLD   HANDBOOK 

power  to  neutralize  the  drug.  Olive  oil  is  next 
best;  it  protects  the  coating  of  the  stomach. 
But  use  anj^thing  above  named  rather  than 
nothing.  To  let  a  case  of  poison  go  by  default 
is  against  reason  and  humanity. 

Arsenic:  Arsenic  in  all  its  forms  is  best 
fought  with  raw  eggs,  especially  the  whites, 
and  sweet  milk  or  cream.  Give  a  strong 
emetic  afterward,  then,  when  it  has  acted,  more 
eggs  or  milk.  This  should  suffice  unless  the 
poison  has  been  freely  absorbed. 

Ptomaine  Poisoning:  Give  an  active 
emetic,  followed  by  a  cathartic;  keep  the 
patient  warm,  stimulate  with  brandy — a  tea- 
spoonful  every  hour;  put  mustard  to  wrists, 
ankles,  back  of  neck,  and  pit  of  stomach — this 
particularly  if  there  is  severe  pain,  cramps, 
or  continued  retching.  Pains  in  the  head  in- 
dicate the  need  of  an  ice  cap. 

Mercury  Poisoning:  Bichloride  needs  as 
antidote  raw  eggs  and  cream,  or  oil,  with  the 
same  external  treatment  as  for  ptomaines. 
Strong  emetics  are  inadvisable,  but  if  the 
stomach  frees  itself  naturally  of  the  emollients 


IN    EMERGENCIES  199 

much  poison  will  come  with  them.  Replace 
them  in  smaller  quantities,  but  give  nothing 
else  until  the  doctor  comes. 

Bites  and  Stings:  Stings  from  wasps,  bees, 
and  ants  need  treatment  with  fruit  acids — 
bathe  in  vinegar  or  apply  a  slice  of  raw  apple 
or  peach  or  a  crushed  grape.  Instant  sucking 
removes  part  of  the  poison  and  relieves  the 
pain  to  a  degree.  Always  suck  bites,  as  of 
spiders,  unless  there  are  abrasions  of  tongue 
and  Ups.  After  sucking  bathe  freely  with 
fresh  peroxide  of  hj^drogen,  boracic  acid,  or 
sugar-of-lead  water.  A  leaf  of  green  plantain, 
well  bruised,  bound  on  a  bite  or  sting  when 
nothing  else  is  at  hand  keeps  down  inflamma- 
tion and  mitigates  pain.  In  case  of  stings  make 
sure  the  sting  proper  has  not  been  left  in  the 
wound,  since  its  presence  might  induce  blood 
poisoning. 


INDEX 


Acid  poisoning,  197. 

Adaptation  of  old  gar- 
ments, 108. 

Antidotes,    196-198. 

Antique  furniture,  care  of, 
66;    restoring,  62-65. 

Ants,  how  to  get  rid  of, 
177. 

Aprons,  laundry,  11. 

Arsenic,  antidote  for,  198. 

Asphalt  spots,  122. 

Asphy.\iation,  193. 

Bandages,  21-22. 
Basting  clothes,  101. 
Bed  bugs,  to  prevent,  170. 
Bed  clothes,  mending,  85. 
Beef,  how  to  choose,  134. 
Bichloride  of  mercury,  165. 
Birds,  care  of,  185. 
Bisulphide  of  lime,  166. 
Bites  and  stings,  199. 
Blanket  box,   175. 
Blazing  fat,    how   to   put 

out,   192. 
Bleaching,  2-3. 
Blood,  to  stanch,  22-23. 
Bluestone,    164. 
Books,  mending,  80. 
Borax,  163. 
Bordeaux  mixture,  165. 


Buckwheat  flour,  131. 

Burlaps,  .34. 

Biu-ns,  194. 

Butter,  how  to  choose,  133. 

Brass,  care  of,  67,  126. 

Breaks    and    dislocations, 

194. 
Bric-S,-brac,  mending,  79. 
Brick  dust,  46. 
Bronze,  care  of,  126. 
Brooms,  42. 
Broom  bags,  42. 
Brushes,  42,  46. 

Cake,  how  to  keep,  143. 

Calcimine,  39,  50. 

Canaries,  care  of,  186. 

Canning,  139. 

Carpets,  cleaning,  29-30; 
mending,  90. 

Cats,  care  of,  183. 

Cavies,  care  of,  184. 

Ceilings,  30,  ^8-39. 

Cement,  53-54. 

Charcoal,  163. 

Cheese,  how  to  choose  and 
keep,  134. 

Chimney  blazes,  how  to 
put  out,  192. 

China,  mending,  75;  wash- 
ing, 56. 


202 


HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 


Chloride-of-lime  water,  55. 
Chloroform  poisoning,  196. 
Cleaning  floors  and  rugs, 

28-30. 
Cloth,  washing,  105. 
Clothes-drainer,   45. 
Coarse  mending,  84. 
Coffee,  how  to  choose  and 

keep,  132. 
Collars,  how  to  do  up,  5-7. 
Contagion,   19-20. 
Copper,  care  of,  126. 
Copperas,    163. 
Copperas  water,  55. 
Cornmeal,  130. 
Cottons,  testing,  97. 
Cracks,  filling,  27. 
Cretonne,  34. 
Cuffs,  how  to  do  up,  5-7. 
Curtains,   how  to  do  up, 

8-9. 
Cutting  out  clothes,  99. 
Cuttings,  to    start    plant, 

158. 

Darning,  81,  88. 
Disinfection,  20. 
Disinfectants,  55, 163-178. 
Dogs,  care  of,  179. 
Dust  cloths,  43. 
Dust  swabs,  43. 
Dyeing,   103. 

Earth  worms,  157. 
Eggs,  how  to  test,  144. 
Emergencies,   what  to  do 

in,  192-199. 
Enameled  iron,  71. 

Fainting,  193. 
Ferns,   151. 


Fertilizers,   153. 

J'illers  for  new  wood,  47. 

Fleas,  how  to  prevent,  170. 

Flies,  how  to  prevent,  168. 

Floors,  24-30. 

Flocr  pad,  41. 

Flour,  how  to  test,  129. 

Flowers,  how  to  keep  and 
arrange  cut  flowers,  159. 

Foot  pad,  41. 

French  pohsh,  49. 

Frocks,  how  to  wash,  4. 

Fruit,  dried,  142. 

Fruit  stains,  119. 

Fruit  storage,  139. 

Furniture,  mending,  74; 
pohsh,  49. 

Furs,  mending,  88;  clean- 
ing, 93. 

Garden  pests,  166. 

Gas  leak,  192. 

Gasolene-cleaning,  104. 

Gelatine  spots,  119. 

Gilt,  to  clean,  128;  frames, 
69;    furniture,  68. 

Glass,  annealing,  61 ;  mend- 
ing, 79;  preserving  in, 
138;    washing,  58-61. 

Glazing,  37. 

Gloves,  care  of,  92. 

Glue,  50. 

Grass  stains,  what  to  do 
for,  123. 

Grease  spots,  what  to  do 
for,  113. 

Grits,  how  to  test,  131. 

Gum  arable,  52. 

Hares,  how  to  keep,  184. 
Hominy,  how  to  test,  131, 


INDEX 


203 


Ice,  to  keep  in  sickroom, 

18. 
Ice-cream  spots,  119. 
Ink  stains,  121. 
Insects,   154,   163-178. 
Insecticides,  154,  163-178. 
Iodine  poison,  197. 
Iron,  rust,  123;  care  of,  125. 
Irons,  13. 
Ironstone,  58. 
Ironing-boards,  43. 
Ironing-tables,  11. 

Javelle  water,  54. 

Kerosene  emulsion,  165. 
Knee  pad,  41. 
Knives  and  forks,  how  to 
clean,  61. 

Lace  and  embroidery, 
how  to  wash,  10;  how 
to  mend,  87;  how  to 
freshen,    105. 

Lamps  and  candlesticks, 
mending,   80. 

Lard,  how  to  test,  133. 

Larkspur,  167. 

Laundry  cabinet,  45. 

Lead  swab,  45. 

Lime  water,  54. 

Linen,  testing,  97. 

Mahogany  stain,  48. 
Majolica,  how  to  wash,  58. 
Materials,  appliqued,  102. 
Matted  floors,  29. 
Matting,  mending,  90. 
Meat,  how  to  keep  fresh. 

138. 
Melons,  keeping,  143. 


'  Mending,  74-91. 

Mercury  poisoning,  198. 

Mildew',    123. 

Millinery,  109. 

Mission  furniture,  care  of, 
68. 

Mordants,  3-4. 

Mosquitoes,  168. 
:  Moths,    172. 

Mucilage,  52. 

Mustard  plasters,  21. 

Mutton  and  lamb,  135. 

Narcotic  poisoning,  196. 
Nursing,  clothes  for,  23. 

Oak  furniture,  care  of, 

68. 
Oak  stains,  48. 
Oatmeal,  131. 
Oil  stains,  47. 
Old    garments,     ways    to 

use,  108. 
Ornaments   for   milhnery, 

112. 
Oxalic  acid,  55. 

Pads,  41. 

Paint,  to  remove,  26,  118. 

Palms,    how    to    care   for, 

151. 
Pantries,  outdoor,  141. 
Paper  dough,  53. 
Papering,  31-32,  38. 
Parrots,  care  of,  190. 
Paste    for    paper-hanging, 

52. 
Perspiration  marks,  124. 
Pets,  care  of,  179-191. 
Pewter,  how  to  clean,  127. 
Piano  polish,  49. 


204 


HOUSEHOLD    HANDBOOK 


Pine  needles,  46. 

Plants,   care  of,    148;    for 

window  boxes,  150. 
Plaster,  53. 
Poisons,   196-198. 
Polish,  49. 
Porch  furnitiu'e,  71. 
Pork,  how  to  choose,  136. 
Pots,  145. 
Potting,   146. 
Poultices,  21. 
Poultry.  137;  how  to  keep, 

138.' 
Precautions,  72. 
Pressing,  101. 
Ptomaine  poisoning,  198. 
Putty,  54. 

Quicklime,  163. 

Roaches,  how  to  get  rid 
of,  158,  176. 

Road  stains,  115. 

Roses,  151. 

Rugs,  cleaning,  30;  mend- 
ing, 90. 

Rust,  123. 

Salt  fish,  how  to  keep, 

138. 
Salt  meats,  how  to  choose, 

136. 
Sand,  53. 
Saving  pieces  of  material, 

107. 
Sawdust,  46. 
Scrubbing,  24. 
Shellac,  25. 

Shirts,  how  to  do  up,  5-6. 
Sickbed,  15. 
Sickroom,  care  of,  13-23. 


Silk,  testing,  95;   washing, 

105. 
Silk  wall  covering,  34. 
Silver  tarnish,  127. 
Size,   glue  and  vegetable. 

50. 
Smoke  stains,  124. 
Soap,  1-2. 

Soil  for  house  plants,  145. 
Spots,  how  to  get  rid  of, 

113-119. 
Sprains  and  strains,  195. 
Sprinklers,  44. 
Stains,  oil,  47;  mahogany, 

48;     walnut,    48;     oak, 

48;     road,    115;     fruit, 

119;  wine,  120;  ink,  121; 

grass,  123;  smoke,  124. 
Staining  floors,  24-25. 
Starches,  7-8. 

Table     linen,     how     to 

wash,   4-5. 
Tar  spots,  122. 
Tea,  how  to  choose,  132. 
Tile  floors,  how  to  clean, 

29. 
Tool  box,  44. 
Trimmings,  care  of,  106. 

Upholstered  furniture, 
care  of,  69. 

Varnish,   to  remove,   26; 

spots,    118. 
Vegetable  storage,  139. 
Velvet,  freshening,  107. 
Vitriol,  white,  164. 

Walls,  30-36. 
1  Wall  mop,  46. 


INDEX 


205 


Wall  paper,  31-33. 
Walnut  stain,  48. 
Washing,  1-12. 
Washing,  china  and  glass, 

rjO-Gl;  knivos  and  forks, 

61. 
Washing-fluids,  2. 
Washing-soda,  163. 
Water,  to  soften,  1. 
Water  bugs,  176. 
Water  wagon,  42. 
Wax,  dancing,  40. 
Wax  board,  45. 


Wax  finish,  48. 
Wax  spots,  124. 
Waxing  floors,  25. 
Whitewash,  39,  51. 
Whitewashed  walls,  36. 
Wicker  fiu'niture,  care  of, 

70. 
Windows,  30,  37. 
Window  boxes,  146,  149. 
Wine  stains,  120. 
Woolens,    how    to    wash 

9. 
Woolens,  testing,  96. 


THE    END 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY 

3  3125  00140  3522 


